North Academy for Hybrids
by GaaraFox
Summary: Ch8! North Academy for Hybrids is a boarding school for Hybrids, which are people who can morph into animals. Sakura is new to this school, and is actually ready to start a new life, but is there danger? Rated M:future violence,sexual referencesNO LEMON
1. Ignorance Isn't Bliss, Denial Is

**The characters in Naruto do not belong to me, but to their original creator.  
'DVNO' by Justice belongs to the band, and not to me.  
Disney Channel doesn't belong to me either.  
All opinions described by the characters do not depict my personal opinions, they are for the characters only, and whatever relation there is to the real world is strictly coincidental.  
Any similarities in this plot, to another plot, is coincidental as well, and I apologize for any "unoriginality".  
Constructive criticism is welcome, and I don't mind if you point out any part of the following story that confuses you, or that you (as the audience) believe should be altered.  
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy Chapter One to 'North Academy for Hybrids'. Welcome to your new school.**

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'North Academy for Hybrids'

By: GaaraFox

Chapter I: _Ignorance Isn't Bliss, Denial Is _

* * *

"Now stick out your tongue, and say 'Ahh'."

I mentally glared at the annoying nurse in front of me, but regardless of the fact that I didn't want to be here, I followed her order.

"Ahh. . ." Internally I rolled my eyes, using all the energy I had just to keep my sweet façade up. To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm suddenly enraged by the idea of having to be in the nurse's office; I just am.

"Okay, you can close your mouth." The nurse held a smile, but the dark circles under her eyes told a different story. "Tell me again, what happened?" Her bright - yet dark - plump, face enlightened with curiosity.

I sighed with a hint of frustration, "I fell asleep in class, and when Amanda tried to wake me up, I was startled, so I scratched her."

". . .you scratched her. . ?" Her eyebrows forced themselves into an uncomfortable scrunch.

"Yes." I folded my arms stubbornly and internally pouted, this whole thing was just silly, it wasn't that big of a deal that I reacted in such a way. Besides, she shouldn't have woken me up; it was always Algebra II - or any sort of math class - that caused my anger to bubble.

"Hmm. . ." I had a slight notion as to what she might be leaning towards, but I quickly pushed that theory aside as preposterous. "And how do you feel?"

'_I hate repeating myself. . .'_ I shrugged. "Right now I feel fine."

For a moment she seemed distracted that I was leaning away from her hasty conclusion, so she cut to the chase in order to fuel her anxiety. "How about earlier?"

"Well. . . earlier, before I fell asleep, I was a little dizzy and had a slight headache."

"Hmm. . ." She made the same annoying _hum_ that most people use when they're thinking, or just trying really hard to annoy someone.

"But it's not that big of a deal," I quickly added in, "Just allergies."

The nurse, a middle-aged, warm, and somewhat fluffy woman (the students were to respectfully call her Mrs. Florelock) walked over to the side of her desk, and began picking through a tall filing cabinet.

She ignored my reasonable proposition, and preoccupied herself with historical documents of whatever was in those cabinets. I swung my feet nervously as I waited on top of the brown patient's bed, which had fresh white paper pulled across it. Moving my feet caused the paper to make a crinkling noise, but at least it kept the awkward silence some where else.

Mrs. Florelock pulled out a few documents, making the same thinking sound, and then put them away. Then, she grabbed a brand new folder, and looked at me with curious eyes, "What was your name again?"

"Sakura, Sakura Haruno." I _pretended_ to smile, and I felt as if it was a little more obvious than I'd intended. But I didn't mind my disrespectful behavior, because I had a good indication as to what she was doing, and her actions were a good enough reason for my chilly barrier.

"Right." She took a sharpie and wrote my name on the folder, then she sat at her desk and pulled a few blank documents out, dusting them off first. She began filling in a few of the blanks, (the format of the documents were similar to ones I'd seen in Junior High) but then looked back at me from her desk. "What else have you been feeling lately?"

I internally sighed, "A little dizzy, uhm. . . headaches ever once and a while. . . but it's October, and I always feel like this in the middle of October."

She sarcastically raised her eyebrows while looking back down at the document in front of her, "Well," She began, ignoring my continuous efforts to drive her away from that _one_ psychotic reason for my sudden illness, "If you feel anything else, let me know; don't hide it. Anything weird, anything at all, even if it seems like it's just allergies,"

"I can assure you, Mrs. Florelock, that I'm not a late. . ." My voice caught in my throat, and I couldn't seem to say the word that would finish such a simple sentence, with a not so simple meaning.

"I understand that this is difficult for you, but we have to keep an eye on anything that's out of the ordinary. We all know that it's rare, but that doesn't mean it's completely impossible." She tried to sympathize for me, but her pity ran dry and didn't seem strong enough for my arctic wall.

For a moment, it didn't seem so absurd. . . I could feel the blood draining from my face and the rest of my body, and I subtly allowed myself to realize that it could happen. I really could be taken away from the comfort of San Arcos High School, and sent to that boarding school. . .

"Don't worry about it too much," Mrs. Florelock tried to reassure me with another one of her smiles, and a nonchalant shrug, "'North Academy for Hybrids' is a lovely boarding school where you'd make all new life long friends."

I noticed that my gaze had drifted to the floor, so I quickly snapped my head up to meet her observant yet uncomfortably boring eyes, "But I don't _want_ to make new friends," My voice almost choked again with sudden emotion, "I like where I live _now_!"

Mrs. Florelock looked at me for little while, analyzing me inside and out, I suppose, and then looked down at her desk to scribble a few more notes.

This time, I purposely allowed my eyes to roll, and jumped off the victim's table. I swiftly grabbed my hall pass off of her desk, and stomped out the door without another word. She didn't seem interested in saying anything else, I guess, and even if she was, I was too upset to even care to listen.

After what seemed like an hour of marching at an accelerated pace to my locker, I decided to simmer down. I hadn't noticed how tightly my fists were clenched, so I shook them to let the tension seep out, and even cringed a little when I recognized deep fingernail indentions in my palms. The volcanic agitation that was sweeping through me earlier was now non-existent, so I took advantage of this new apathetic persona, and breezed down the halls. Every once and a while I'd analyze my palms and scrunch my eyebrows in passive frustration, but didn't allow the negativity to take over me completely.

Suddenly, I jumped and analyzed my surroundings in paranoia when the bell rang, forgetting for a moment what it was. But soon I felt silly for getting scared over such a routine sound, so I shook my head, and began continually hitting my forehead. _'I can't allow this to take over me, it's not happening! It's too late for a junior in high school to show symptoms!'_ But of course - no matter how delicious denial tasted - I knew that wasn't true, and even Mrs. Florelock knew that it was extremely rare to show signs of becoming a hybrid, but _not_ impossible.

I sighed, and tried to relax every part of my body, but my nerves stayed tangled up in bunches. _'It's still probably allergies. . .'_

Teens all around me rushed, pushed, and zig-zagged through the halls, excited that school was finally over for the day. As a way to keep my mind off of the current situation, I decided to eavesdrop on the conversations around me. I could hear plans for the weekend, about how some were going to the movies, and others were going to parties. Some were even just going to stay home and study, like me. . . but with a bit of sulking involved.

I finally arrived at my locker, and took out my messenger bag that I'd dropped off before heading over to the nurse. _'I won't need this. . . I need this. . . I won't need this. . .' _I organized the debris and books in my locker as I mentally calculated what was necessary for the weekend study party with myself.

"Hey Sakura!" Without warning, my heart accelerated behind its frail cage, and I jumped higher than I thought possible.

"Damnit, Amanda, don't do that!" I breathed out a sigh I hadn't realized I was holding, and mentally noted -without looking - that I chipped a nail on my locker.

She giggled, apparently not phased by the idea that I had scratched her today in Algebra II. "So. . . what happened?" Amanda raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

I scratched the back of my head, and leaned against the locker, "Oh, you know, allergies. . ." I shrugged, rolling my eyes away from her in order to not make eye contact, and turned back around to my locker.

I heard her sigh behind me, and I hoped that she wasn't thinking what I was thinking. "It's painfully obvious what's going on, this isn't something you can hide from me." Unlike the nurse, the sympathy laced in her words were real.

'_Damn. . .'_ "Know what?" I asked curiously - still facing my locker - trying to seem as if I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Sakura, you never were a good actress. . ." _'That's besides the subject. . . And thanks for reminding me. . . jerk.'_ "My brother is in eighth grade, and he goes to-"

"Look," I turned around sharply, ready to push everything aside and forget about it, "I'm not a. . ." My voice caught in my throat again, like a spider's web, and I couldn't find it in me to say it.

She eyed me for a few minutes, ". . .hybrid. . ?"

I cringed at the thought, and shook my head, disgusted, "Yeah, that. . . I'm just sick, okay? Just like any other normal human being, so please just forget about whatever crazy accusations you have in mind!"

"Hmm. . ." I internally growled at that familiar, annoying habit, but soon stopped myself because the sound erupting from my chest was a little too real. "Okay, whatever you say." She shrugged, and I felt that she _was _speaking honestly, and that maybe she would just let me live in my fantasy world.

A laugh collided with one of my sighs, and I playfully rolled my eyes. "Look, I don't feel like doing anything _major_ this weekend, so I'll just see you on Monday." _'Hopefully.'_

Amanda smiled a cocky smile, but took me seriously enough to understand my situation, "Alright, I'll see you then." Then she spun around gracefully, but then suddenly turned back around as a mental note struck her, "Oh, and if you need any help on that Algebra II work, just call me, okay?" I actually had a real giggle this time, and allowed it freedom for a few seconds before she turned back around, and skipped down the hall, letting her long, dirty blonde hair follow.

When she was gone, my smile faded, and I turned back towards my locker to begin subtly hitting my head against it. Not in such a way to give myself a headache (not that I didn't already have one) or provide any permanent damage, but just enough to keep any annoying thoughts out of my mind. One logical thought that snuck in, was the fact that I wasn't going to tell Mother about my little adventure today to the nurse's office. But I really wouldn't doubt it if Mrs. Florelock decided to bring it upon herself to call her.

A small part inside of me held onto the idea that maybe she wouldn't, but logically I knew she already did (or was planning to later this evening) since it _was_ standard procedure to let the parents know.

When I finished grabbing everything I needed I slammed my locker shut, clasping the lock into its proper position. At least on my walk home, I could get some alone time to think things through.

When I made it outside, the cool air suddenly pounced on me and clung to my clothing, fighting away every bit of warmth I stored up from being inside the cozy school all day. _'Okay, first things first,' _I had to get the rhythm of my feet set in a continuous, fluid motion. . . left, right, left, right. _'Expand the lungs, then suppress them,' _I'm still breathing, so that's typically a good sign, and I have everything with me, including all of my limbs.

Let's go back to the beginning. . . _'When was the first time I heard of North Academy for Hybrids?' _Well, it must have been sometime before Junior High, because everyone entered Junior High already knowing about it. It was probably in elementary (when we were first notified) when Joseph had all the symptoms of becoming a hybrid. I remember he was in my block class (we only had three classes to change to in elementary, so you would have the same classmates with you everyday) and there was one day where he hissed at the teacher for scolding him over his peculiar behavior. Another day, he came to school and his eyes suddenly had a darker haze to them.

Then, before I knew it, he was no longer in any of my classes. None of the teachers informed us on where he went, why, or what was going on with him. All they ever said to us, was that he was being transferred to a new school. . . a school that was _meant _for him. When the last day of sixth grade finally arrived (two other students were missing from our small school), they decided to officially make it mandatory that the teachers inform us of what was going on.

I recall that day very clearly. . . They gathered all of the sixth graders in the cafeteria and handed us pamphlets about North Academy for Hybrids, and told us that this school was meant for children, teens, and young adults that had the ability to morph into an animal. Of course, I didn't really believe them at first, and I tried to make it a joke with some of the other students, but they all believed the teachers. Some actually seemed fascinated, others were bored, or already knew what was going on, and even raised their hands to tell stories about their brothers, sisters, and parents that had this "gift". One of our teachers even brought in her twenty-two year old son, and right before our eyes, he gracefully jumped into the air as a human, but circulated the room as a bald eagle. His powerful wings pulsated and continually beat the air with rhythmic beauty until he finally finished his lap around the cafeteria, and landed on the back of an empty chair that was set on stage.

All around me I could feel the students that were bored, suddenly getting excited and fascinated, and the ones that were already fascinated, became jealous._ 'What was wrong with them. . .?' _I recall thinking that day.

I, on the other hand, was struck in a moment of horror and indecisiveness. Should I become joyous like the others, and waste my life in envy over something so petty? Or should I crawl away into a stupor egg, and lay incubated in denial?

Of course, I'm sure by now you know the path in which I chose, and I followed this path for a specific reason. Mainly because I'd grown up in San Arcos High School, and I wasn't ready to leave it and allow myself to be thrown into a different environment with new challenges. That would mean that I'd have to start all over again, and make new friends. Plus, I'd have to leave my lonely mother at home while I stayed at North Academy, since it _was_ a boarding school.

These weren't the conditions I was wanting to start Junior High in, but I knew that if it did happen, there was absolutely _nothing _I could do about it.

Back in reality, I jolted upright as a chilly water droplet made its mark on my nose. I dropped my gaze back down to the ground, and watched my legs take turns as they allowed me to make my way down the sidewalk. _'Almost there, to a warm, cozy bed.' _I mentally noted, pulling my sleeves to my jacket around me as tight as possible, and went back to my daydreaming.

I recall seventh grade as being one of the most chaotic years of my life, mainly because there were wild children everywhere - literally. One moment we'd be testing over a science exam, and the next, someone would stand up in confused fury, and throw a desk across the room! I also began recognizing students in the hallways with darker tints in their eyes, ranging from yellow, to red, and even to completely black. The nurse's office was _always _full, and anyone who began showing these strange signs, would have their history put into a file and recorded for later evidence - just as the nurse had done to me, which is why the documents were familiar.

Eventually, I completely stopped going to the nurse's office, because I was always afraid that they might send me to _that_ school. For a moment, I giggled, because I suddenly recalled the analogy I'd made in Junior High. This new "gift" was like the Plague. . . a slow, but lethal disease that seemed to effortlessly take out its victims. From the moment I thought of that in Junior High, I decided to continually consider it a disease, and somehow I was immune. . .

And that's how today's problem began, because I became enraged, and refused to go to the nurse's office after waking up and scratching Amanda. (Which I still think isn't that big of a deal.)

Although, somewhere deep within myself, I couldn't help but step outside of my body and try to analyze what I looked like to everyone else. On the outside, I looked like I was having symptoms of becoming a Hybrid, but on the inside, I stayed within a protective shell. _'Nothing is wrong with me. . .' _Besides, it should be too late, right? Everyone did explain how puberty was the breaking point, and that it was the final indicator of whether or not you'd become a. . . _hybrid_. Entering High School was supposed to be my stress reliever, because then I officially knew it would never _ever_ happen.

I sighed once again, and looked up at the familiar blue house that had always been my home since I was born. I frowned; I didn't want a new home, anywhere. . . I just wanted to stay here, with my loving Mother.

Finally I shook my head (a pathetic attempt to remove the thoughts from my mind) and made my way up the driveway, and to the front door that was conveniently unlocked.

"Sakura? Is that you?" A familiar voice rang from the kitchen.

"Nope, it's the boogeyman." I smiled, and even allowed myself to snicker as I heard my mother's playful and sarcastic laugh.

I walked passed the living room, and turned to go up the stairs that curved - slightly - up to the second floor where my cozy lair awaited me. When I made it down the hall to my destination, I kicked my door open, knowing that I'd always left it cracked, and stalked inside. This was the only place I was allowed to have horrible posture, and _unlady-like _manners. It was my domain, and my sanctuary.

I spotted my bed, _'Only a few feet away. . !' _And marched towards it, throwing my messenger bag off into the corner, and plopping myself down onto the comfortable, unmade sheets. I wasn't the type of person who was bothered by the fact that the sheets and comforter were the same way as they were when I left for school. . . actually, I preferred it that way.

A hidden sigh escaped my chest, and I curled myself into a ball, keeping my torso in a comfortably warm position while I kicked off my shoes, using my toes. Today was not only physically and mentally exhausting, but emotionally exhausting as well.

My thoughts lingered on simple moments, like how Jake - in my World History class - turned around and asked to borrow a pencil. It wasn't just that he turned around and asked _me_ for a pencil, it was the fact that he took his time, and carefully allowed the words to slip off of his perfect lips. It was the fact that he looked me in the eyes, like I was a normal human being - which I am. . .

It was also the fact that Samantha was glaring at me from her faithful spot on his left, and that he didn't even take the time to ask her if she had a pencil. Which, she probably didn't, because she had the annoying habit of using pens and then chewing on them. Yeah, uhh. . . Ew.

Somewhere between forgetting my troubles, and fantasizing about Jake's perfect lips, I fell into one of those deep, yet light, slumbers. It was as if my conscious wouldn't allow me to go to sleep, but my physical being was anxious for some 'Z's. It was a little strange how I knew I was sleeping, and yet I was still aware of everything around me, like the phone ringing. . .

"Hello?" I heard my mother's distant voice from the living; she was probably watching one of her evening shows by now.

"Yes, this is Mrs. Haruno."

The smile in her voice was evident.

"Oh, is she alright?"

Now there was obvious concern.

"What-?"

Whoever was calling must've interrupted her.

"Are you sure that's reasonable, I mean, it is October-"

Another interruption. . . I knew I earned my logical mindset from my Mother.

"Right. I understand."

And her words meant exactly that.

"Yes. . . No, there's no history. . ."

At least there was none that _I _knew of.

"Most certainly."

Somewhere in my deep conscious mind, I laughed.

"Oh, of course, and thank you. . . Yes, you too, bye."

Then it was over, and my senses finally gave in, and faded into a dark curtain that enveloped them until they would once again be needed.

~ - ~ - ~

"Hn. . ." I warily scrunched my eyebrows, and scratched my crusty eyes, while I stifled a yawn as it came up from within my chest. My head was nestled into the depths of my elbow while my forearm held my feather pillow close to my cheek. I tightened all of my muscles, and then let them loose as I stayed within the same curled up ball I'd collapsed into earlier that evening.

Slowly, my eyes cracked open, and steadily focused on the light shade of blue on my wall. _'What time is it?'_ I inquired curiously to myself.

I began moving my arm out from under my pillow, but soon realized that when I went to turn, I had a crick in my neck. It held a light burn on the inner contours of my neck, but in time I eventually sat up, and gently began massaging it with my free hand.

When the pain subsided to a bearable state, I looked down at myself, and realized that I not only felt horrible, but I looked horrible too. Mysteriously, my blanket from the end of my bed was pulled over me, and I realized that Mother must've come in to check on me. Although I was refreshed with falling asleep early, I couldn't push aside the hammer that knocked away within my noggin. Also, there was a new feeling in my chest, and it sort of felt like I had butterflies in my heart. I knew that the only guy I liked was Jake, (the cutest guy in school that would only notice me for a pencil) but I didn't like him enough for my heart to _flutter_.

Actually, it wasn't the same type of heart fluttering you'd feel when you became utterly obsessed with someone, it was something different. . .

I shook my head slightly, and eventually pushed the blanket aside, and forced my legs to the edge of the bed, thankful that I'd fallen asleep with my jacket on. It was still chilly, even in our warm home, and I loved sleeping cold, but right now it was a little frustrating.

When I glanced at the clock it read "2:24 A.M.", _'Wow. . . Nine hours. . . That's not so bad.' _The only bad part, was that now I was stuck with this new sleeping schedule. The kind where you go to bed early, get enough sleep, but then wake-up early because you're not tired anymore. It was slightly annoying, but I shrugged - mainly because of the cold - and decided to walk around for bit.

I held my arms together tightly, and scrunched my toes together in my socks as I made my way out of my room and down the stairs. They squeaked at a low volume in the day time, but at night, everything seemed intensified. I walked passed the living room, and made it safely to the kitchen, scanning the cabinets and imagining what would be in them. I tested each piece of food in my mind, but nothing seemed to stand out.

Finally, I settled for an apple on the counter, and took a bite-

I turned my head quickly, wincing at the pain in my neck, but ignored that to listen for the strange sound that just occurred. It sounded as if one of the aluminum trashcans in our front yard fell over. . . _'Probably those annoying raccoons or opossums. . .' _I tried to shake it off, but the same sound came again, except this time it lasted longer, and sounded slightly farther away.

I looked in the living room, slowly making my way towards the curtain closed window that was next to the front door. My instincts told me to go to bed and pretend like nothing happened, but my curiosity won in that useless tug-o-war, and I decided to peak outside.

As lightly as I could, I lifted one side of the curtain, trying to conceal myself as much as possible. My breathing became slow and steady, and it made small circles of perspiration on the dark window. I analyzed the outside world, as a feeble wall stood in between us, and tried to make shapes out of the darkness. It was like a black ocean, and the only light was the gorgeous glow of the full moon as it peered through insignificant clouds.

I sighed, feeling silly for thinking there was anything out there, so I pulled my head out of the dark world and stepped away from the curtains. I took another bite of my apple, and was about to turn around and go back to bed, until the same screeching noise erupted from outside. _'How many times are those animals going to knock over the trash cans?' _

This time I was fully intent on knowing what little animal was out there, because at least maybe I could scare it off. . .

With a bit of braveness and delirium stored up inside me, I briskly walked to the door, but steadily opened it. A cool breeze drifted into the warmth of my home, and challenged to take over, but I refused it by stepping outside and closing the door behind me. I felt a shiver run through my body as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light outside, and my feet even shivered within the thin fabric that were my socks.

It was much colder than it should've been in October, but that was probably because I wasn't used to going out so late. I peered across our front lawn, our drive way, and finally gazed at the long streak of black that was my home's street. Everything was painfully still, yet the wind somehow managed to move my hair in small wisps around my head. My teeth chattered as I hugged myself even tighter, gripping the apple fiercely in my hand, and hoping that my shivering would produce enough heat to warm me up.

'_How strange. . .'_ My gaze landed on our trash cans that were at the end of our driveway, and they were still upright. They hadn't moved at all from their original position. . . So where was that sound coming from?

I looked around at our neighbor's trashcan, but it was too dark to see if they were over on the ground or still standing. Either way, I could've sworn ours had been knocked over. . .

A low, eerie clanking sound gently jingled from across the street, but my eyes weren't focused enough to see that far into the black ocean. It seemed now, like a cry, but logically it sounded like aluminum trashcans hitting each other. I squinted my eyes, failing miserably, yet holding onto the bit of false hope I had stored.

With one step at a time, I edged my way down the sidewalk, all the while keeping my eyes on the spot across the street where I'd heard the sound.

I stopped in my tracks, my eyes now wide and my mouth agape as I gazed at my neighbor's house. The chilly wind picked up, and a wave of fear forced me to shiver. I didn't keep my eyes off of the two crimson orbs that seemed to float in midair, almost as if they didn't have an owner.

Unfortunately, they did, and the tall dark figure was hunched over in a predator-like stance. I couldn't tell if it was a man, a woman, or something else. . . All I knew, was that it stood on both back legs, and kept its arms in front of itself, as if waiting to grab something out of the air.

The screech cried out longer this time, and I finally realized that it was coming from the creature across the street. I wanted to be afraid of whatever it was, but something inside me repeatedly told me not to scream, and that I shouldn't feel any fear. The low cry screeched into a bass, but soon lifted up to a high note. My body involuntarily shivered once more, and I felt a pang of sympathy cloud my heart as it continuously fluttered.

Soon, it changed, and the figure across the street erupted a menacing growl that ripped from its throat and into the air. I stepped back, not sure if I should run back inside or crawl into the fetal position and pretend to be dead. Either way, the stranger from the other side eventually decided to lower itself on all fours, and then began running in my direction.

I took a few more steps back, wide-eyed and confused. My breath caught in my throat and I wasn't sure how to scream anymore. Eventually the beast picked up speed and bared its teeth and claws, jumping into the air straight for me. . . the sound of my apple hitting the cool concrete resonated like an atomic bomb. . . the piercing red of its eyes was the last thing I saw. . .

~ - ~ - ~

My eyes shot open and I gasped in a lungful of air, expanding it as far as I could, almost as if I'd been drowning and I finally reached the surface. Slowly, I deflated my lungs, and then inhaled them once again, trying to slow my racing heart. Sweat seeped out of my pores on my temples, and I sat up, glancing around my room, reluctant that the sun was shining through the window so brightly.

'_I guess I didn't sleep as long as I'd thought. . .' _I put one hand on my heart, and slowly my lips formed into a smile as I began laughing as I thought back on my dream, imagining how real it had been.

There was a light tap at my door that made me jump for a moment, but once again I laughed and shook my head. "Come in." I called, and I was surprised at how raspy my voice sounded.

Mother peeked her head into my room, "You awake, sleepy head?" She smiled and entered all the way, pushing the door open.

"Yeah," I yawned and stretched my arms, zipping off my jacket as I waved my hands towards my face, surprised at the sudden intensity of the heat. "Why is it so warm?"

She shrugged, walking towards the window and pulling the curtains open; my eyes squinted at the new, vast amount of light. "I don't know," She replied, smiling at me. "So what do you want to do today?"

I shrugged as well, "I'm not sure. . . When's dinner?" I inquired as I placed a hand on my ravenous stomach.

One of her eyebrows raised in perplexity, "Don't you want breakfast first?" She laughed.

"Breakfast. . ? What time is it?" I quickly turned to my clock in sudden confusion, and it read "10:03 A.M." _'Wow. . . I guess I _did_ sleep longer than I thought. . .' _". . .today _is_ Saturday, right?"

Mother examined my bewildered facial expression, and laughed a melodic tune. "Yes sweety, today is Saturday." She continued to laugh as I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I guess I was just so tired from yesterday-" Quickly I stopped myself before I brought up yesterday's events, but Mother's can always sense when you're hiding something strange from them. She eyed me curiously, but being the wonderful mother she is, decided to push it aside as a confidential file.

"Well," She began, striving to change the awkward atmosphere, "first we can eat, and then we can go shopping. . ?" She let the end lightly drift as a way of building suspension.

Suddenly I lit up and sat up straight, "Shopping?" She laughed once again at my expression, but now it was eccentric. _Most _girls (not all, because I stray from being stereotypical) love to go shopping, and I'm one of the "most" who strive to be on top of the fashion ladder, but also pity themselves for being so vain.

'Tis a complex world we live in, where we know that we should be kind to others and give to those who are less fortunate, and yet we can't help but feed the greedy demon lurking within us. Kindness was something I was good at, but it was also something I should work on. . . Plus, I needed to learn how to hold onto money, instead of letting it go every time I saw a really cute outfit. (They might not have it the next time I go!)

Mother turned around and began walking towards the door, but soon faced me as if she originally came in to tell me something, but had been distracted, "I made eggs and bacon, so get cleaned up and come eat." She then gave me one last smile, and left.

Once she was gone, I jumped out of bed, feeling a wave of excitement flood my veins. I then ran to the bathroom that was across the hallway, and quickly peeled off my twenty-four hour clothes, and jumped into the shower once it was comfortably warm. I began massaging my scalp with coconut shampoo, letting the warm water wash away all of my anxiety from the previous day.

Any sort of internal pain I'd felt yesterday, whether it was emotional or physical, was suddenly silenced by my long period of sleep. The water was also a sort of therapy that allowed the bunches of nerves in my body to smoothly untangle themselves. My heart fluttered at my excitement once again, reminding me of the dream I had, but the flutter wasn't the same as it was from my dream.

The sudden reminder brought back the piercing, blood red eyes that seemed intent on. . . Whatever its intentions were. Whether those intentions were to cause harm to me, or not, I still couldn't push aside the fierceness of the creature's persona. Dedication was evident to whatever it was, and like myself, whenever I become dedicated and focused on anything, I don't stop until I get it.

That very thought made me shiver under the warm droplets. . . Now I was beginning to feel thankful it was just a dream.

My shower daydreaming came to an end as I finished washing myself, and turned off the water, squeezing out the remainder of it from my medium-length pink hair. I quickly pulled aside the curtain and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my shivering body to dry off the remaining droplets.

Suddenly I once again remembered what I was going to do today, so I urgently ran back across the hallway to my room, throwing clothes around in order to figure out what to wear. Finally I settled on some skinny jeans and a thin yellow shirt, and yellow and white flats. I looked around my room, combing out my hair as I picked up little things to put in my purse, and finally grabbed my jacket (just in case). I ran down the curved staircase and allowed my mouth to water at the enticing scent of today's breakfast.

At last, I took at seat at the dining table that was in the kitchen, but placed into an indention in the wall that proudly held bay windows. The sunlight streamed passed the clouds and through the thin glass that enhanced the ray's beauty, making my breakfast seem all the more glorious. My stomach growled in an anticipation, and I munched merrily.

"What would you like to drink?" Mother asked sweetly.

"Milk, please." I smiled as a bit of yoke stained my two front teeth.

I watched her as she seemed to skip to the fridge and take out the milk, pouring me a glass, and then handing it to me, "There you go, sweety." She smiled again, but this time I didn't miss her second meaning to everything.

"Thank you," I grinned back, and watched her from the corner of my eye as she hesitantly analyzed my every move.

'_Yup, it was the nurse that called last night. . .'_ Now I could clearly see how the call was affecting her, and I can catch fragile hints of the way her movements shake and then recalculate themselves, as if she's thinking intently on every action she performs.

"Finished?" She asked, after she became tired of walking around the kitchen, acting like she was preoccupying herself with just about anything. I nodded my head and wiped my mouth with the napkin she gave me, and then placed it on the plate. I picked up my purse and jacket again, and headed for the front door after she finished rinsing off my plate.

When I walked outside, memories from my dream flooded back, and I looked across the street, expecting to see a tall, dark figure there. Of course, there was nothing, so I sighed and held my jacket in my arms, fidgeting with the fabric to distract myself. Mother came a few moments later, locking the door behind her, and heading for the car that she probably pulled out from the garage earlier.

She got in and was about to close the door when she suddenly remembered something, "Oh, Sakura, could you get the mail please?"

"Sure," I smiled, and she returned it, and then closed the door and started the car.

My body seemed awake, but my mind was still in a light haze; it seemed as if I was drifting across clouds when I was making my way to the mail box. I passed the aluminum trash cans, but stopped when I almost reached my destination, because something had caught my eye. Taking a few steps back, I peered into one of the cans, and saw a half eaten apple lying innocently on top of the trashed garbage. My heart accelerated and my blood pumped feverishly as I continued to stare at the sudden reality check.

Nothing seemed to make sense at that moment, and I gasped when Mother honked the horn. Suddenly she was idle in the street, waiting for me as the car purred in anticipation. I hadn't realized my hands were shaking, and that my knees were slightly buckling, but regardless of all the new worries I felt, I pushed it aside and forced myself to move and retrieve the mail.

'_I'm not going to let this take control. . . There's _nothing_ wrong with me. . .'_ It felt wonderful to think those words, but the continuous lying was rubbing raw like sand paper on my nerves.

"Are you alright?" Mother looked at me intently with concern and maybe even a drop of fear; I suppose I'm not a good actress after all. . .

"I'm fine," I nodded my head with a smile and pulled my seatbelt on when she drove forward.

The ride to the mall didn't take but maybe fifteen to twenty minutes, depending on traffic, and I turned up the radio because I wasn't going to allow any awkward silences. Whenever I saw her look over at me through the corner of my eye, I'd pretend to mumble the words to the song on the radio, even if I didn't know it. I kept my eyes peeled on the world outside the window next to me, and continuously checked through my peripheral vision if she was looking over at me, but tried to keep it evident that I wasn't in the mood for talking.

Finally we arrived at the mall, and I quickly got out of the car to escape the distressing atmosphere. Mother was next to get out, and she soon followed right behind me after she locked the car.

'_Just forget about everything, and do something fun for once!' _I agreed with myself that that's what was best for me, and the first store I was intent on going to, was Forever XXI.

"I think I know where we're going." I heard Mother from behind me, and she had a smile in her voice as if she could read my mind.

We entered the retro, glimmering, slightly punk store when 'DVNO' by Justice started playing on the sound system. I smiled mischievously, and Mother had to almost run to keep up with me as I skimmed passed all of the racks of clothing.

"I'm going over here while you run around!" I laughed and said okay as she made her way to a couch that sat next to the dressing rooms.

Alright, so the whole new look I was wanting had to be something almost scene, but more towards retro, sort of like 'Family Force 5''s new look on their album 'Dance Or Die'. Also, I recall an issue of Seventeen magazine where they had a section dedicated to the latest fashion do's-and-don'ts, and one of the positive clothing articles, was those small vest things. At first I shied away from them, slightly annoyed that I could like something that a bunch of annoying Disney Channel stars were wearing, but eventually they warmed up to me, and now I was imaging (practically every morning) how my outfit would look if I did have one.

I scanned the store while slowing my pace so I wouldn't look like a desperate thief looking for something to steal, and then began breathing again. To make my desperate attempt to look natural even more convincing, I smiled at everyone I walked passed. It was casual communication, and one young, brunette girl, even smiled back at me.

Sometimes I wondered if I might have some sort of medical condition that includes having a lot of energy, but I've strayed from that perspective, especially since I'm not _always_ hyper. I did enjoy the occasional five hundred page book, and poetry was even exciting, although rare for me. There are even moments where I'll steal my mother's old acoustic guitar that sits under the stairs (covered in dust) because I have a sudden affinity to play.

Just like my mother, I'm mainly calm and serene, living life day by day as slowly as possible so that I can capture every amazing moment. Such as right now, _'Should I get the plain colored one, or the sparkly one with those weird circles?' _So maybe Mother and I did have a few differences, and maybe we did have a few disagreements, but nonetheless, she's my Mother and I love her.

Once again I became perky, realizing that the plain white one was on sale for only ten dollars-

"Agh!" Suddenly I dropped the vest, and my jacket and purse, and used both of my hands to grip my scalp and forehead. An excruciating throbbing was erupting near my right temple, and I couldn't seem to make the pain go away by rubbing it.

I quickly glanced around the store, rushing towards the back where (hopefully) no one was, and concealed myself behind tall rails of clothing. Again I grunted and clenched my teeth, but the inside of my skull continued to pulsate. At that moment, I almost wished that someone would shoot me, just to end the agony that was taking place so close to my brain. I tried not to think about the burning spot on the side of my head, and the aching throbs that continued to accelerate like twenty migraines, but it was too much and there was no way to divert my thoughts around it.

Then, as quickly as it had occurred, it slowly began to deteriorate. I pulled my hands away from the top of my head and temples, and placed them back at my sides. Feeling strangely exhausted, I straightened my spine, not realizing that I'd hunched over almost ninety degrees to my legs. Once more, I scanned the store, hoping that no one had seen my little fiasco. Thankfully, they hadn't, and I continued to go unnoticed just as I always had my entire life. But I wasn't about to start complaining, my life was good. . . _'Well, it _was_.'_

With a sigh and another rub of my temples, I decided to find Mother and tell her that I desperately needed some Advil, because there was still an agonizing tenderness to the right side of my head, and an overall continuous pulse in my skull. Although now it was bearable, I couldn't seem to get my surroundings straight. My eyes consistently diverted themselves from one area of the store, to another, while the room never quit spinning. I squeezed my eyelids tight, hoping that would dispel the dizziness, but it was useless and made everything even worse, because now it felt as if I was falling from all sides.

I began drifting forward, but caught myself on a rack as I tried to situate my mind and pull it all together. _'It's going to be alright, just keep breathing.' _I obeyed my thoughts, almost as if they weren't my own, and continued to breathe in and out.

"Hey, are you alright. . ?" I picked up my sagging neck and looked over to find a distorted blonde, and even though I couldn't quite see her, I could still feel the sympathy drilling me through her eyes.

I tried to speak, and I tried to tell her that I was fine and that I didn't need any help, but somehow the words wouldn't come out. When I did speak, my voice croaked and small beads of sweat leaked from my forehead and I forced myself to fight the pain coming back into my head. I gripped it once again, groaning as I became frustrated.

"Can I get some help over! Hurry! There's something wrong with this girl!" The blonde began waving over other people, _'No, just stay away, there's nothing wrong with me!' _But of course she couldn't hear me as I screamed inside, and forced each one of my legs to fall in front of the other, just as I'd done yesterday after school.

'_Left. . . Right. . .' _The pattern fell into place, and I pushed away from the rack, but the muscles in my legs strained to take a break. Every inch of my body convulsed sporadically and yet I still tried to keep my grip on reality. I wasn't sure where I was going, but I knew I had to get somewhere. . . Anywhere, but not here. Not where they continued to scream and point.

"Get a doctor! Someone!" I turned my head to find another young girl, brunette, and she was one of the girls I'd smiled at earlier. Now that smile was contorted into a fearful, awestruck gaze.

I grunted again, "Agh!" And it was the only sound to escape my burning throat. My hands found the right side of my skull again, desperately rubbing the searing hot spot. Sweat, and another warm liquid covered the side of my face. I pulled my hands away, bringing them close to my eyes so I could examine what I'd already had a hunch was on them. . . _'Blood. . ?' _

More people surrounded me, and I became claustrophobic. . . Like a caged animal. A few other women screamed.

'_Why are they screaming. . ?'_ It wasn't like I was some hideous monster come to destroy the world, I was still Sakura. . . I was still the pink haired, big forehead girl that had a hard time fitting in. I was still the girl that wasn't very good at sports or math, but loved to read. I was still the girl that felt pain when it seemed no one could understand her, or even take the time to talk to her about the empty hole in her chest. I was still the girl that cried every once and a while, just because her heart ached to be called Daddy's Little Girl one more time.

So why were they hesitating? The faces and bodies around me continued to spin and they formed a rotating circle that defied gravity in every way possible. Then, reality struck me. _'I'm going to die.'_

Another scream echoed behind the black curtain that now became my mind. . . I was no longer dizzy, but the pain was numbing me almost to the point where I became masochistic. I fought a smile and a bubble of laughter that was forming, because I didn't want to become a _freak_ that enjoyed torture. Pain was a negative emotion, and everyday I battled with pain in an endless war, hoping that optimism would be my key to survival. . . Even if I faked it.

The screaming stopped?

Now there was a slight hum.

This was nice.

Gentle. Easy. Soothing.

Maybe death isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I smiled, and somewhere inside myself I knew that everything was still going to be alright.

"_Don't let anyone get you down, Sakura. You keep your head up high."_

My Father, with his tousled dark brown hair, smiled from above. He preferred the rough, lumber jack look, so his plaid buttoned up cotton shirt went well with his spiky chin. He bent down to kiss my forehead, and I giggled as the texture gently scraped against my skin. Then he wiped away the wet trails of salty tears that covered my cheeks, and under my eyes.

My protector. My guardian.

"Quickly! Someone . . . stopped breathing . . !"

My utopia that I'd created quickly imploded and shocked me with another dose of excruciating, pulsating pain that vibrated through my entire body. I let out a blood curdling scream as I glanced around in a wave of fear, confused as to why they had me tied down. We were moving quickly, and I wasn't sure if they were carrying me and running, or if we were in a vehicle of some sort.

Small blotches of the beings around me drifted in and out as I looked up at them from my horizontal position. They were planted in their spots, but their upper bodies never quite moving. They reached over me, around me, under me. . .

"Sakura!"

'_Mom?'_

Then they were gone.


	2. No Remedy, Just Optimism

**I've revised a few parts towards the end of this chapter, so if you were confused before, go ahead and skip down to the doctor scene.  
Sorry for new readers if that was a type of 'spoiler' to you, I promise that I'll keep descriptions in AN's very vague. **

* * *

'North Academy for Hybrids'

By: GaaraFox

Chapter II: _No Remedy, Just Optimism_

* * *

My heart pumped vigorously behind its ribbed cage, and I drifted back and forth between an abyss composed of light and darkness. There wasn't much here. . . Wherever _here_ was. I was just glad to have successfully escaped the chaos. Now thinking back on it, I can only subtly recall the expressions on their frightened faces, circling around me. . . and how they screamed, pointed, and waved for others to come look at me. . .

As if I was a _freak_ show.

I told myself numerous times that there was nothing wrong with me, and that everything was going to be alright, but was it really true? I knew now, by accepting death with a weary smile, that I'd been lying to myself. Although it didn't come off as much as a surprise, because I knew I'd been living a pastel lie for years. The total realization of my lies soaked through me like fresh water, and stuck annoyingly like honey, collecting in preposterous amounts, and eventually ripping away. . . Taking my flesh with it.

In a way, I wanted to be reborn. I wanted to shed my skin like the devious snake and let all of my memories slip with it into the Earth's dirt where it belonged. Of course, I knew that wasn't going to happen, so my mind continued to buzz with jumpy thoughts.

My eyes were numb, but not in a painful way, so I relaxed the muscles in my eyelids and gently opened them to the world, surveying my surroundings. Everything was painted white, and at first I thought that I might actually be in Heaven. Of course, after a moment or two of analyzing and carefully observing, I came to the conclusion that I was in some sort of medical facility. Everything was in a sweet, foggy haze, like a comfortable dream, and I could feel a peculiar barrier as it distanced my body from the people that ran past me. They seemed intent on whatever was just across the room, and I decided to check it out myself, now that my inevitable curiosity was arising.

Everything was abnormally quiet, yet I knew their footsteps were clearly stomping on the ceramic floor, and their mouths were agape as they spoke; they all seemed to be in a slow-motion frenzy. The world I was now in was definitely different, and I enjoyed the lovely, delicate qualities much more than the usual rough exterior my original world bared. Each step I took was soft, light, and if it wasn't for the chaotic environment I was in, I would've felt giddy and joyful. Finally I arrived to the crowd, and tried tiptoeing over a man's large shoulders to see what they were hovering over, but I couldn't.

Stepping up higher, I strained my calves, and knew I should've felt pain, but there was none. My neck stretched out like a giraffe's, and eventually my curiosity caused me to fall forward. I opened my mouth to apologize to one of the men that were dressed in medical attire, but instead of hitting him, I realized that I'd gone _through _him. Confused, I stood there, now realizing what it was that they were crowding around.

It was me.

I was on the left side of my body, and on the right (across from me), there was a man with a large machine next to him. He pulled two handles that had strange rectangular devices attached to them, and quickly rubbed them together, and then reached out to press them against my body. _'Wait!'_ I tried to yell, but it only came out as a thought. I even reached across the medical bed, but my hand went right through his arms. The body in front of me convulsed on the table, but I myself felt nothing.

Then the doctors began pointing at one another, like they were giving orders. The man to my right, the one behind my body's head, bent over my mouth. His hands were placed gently on my nose and chin. . . nothing like a first kiss should be. He breathed into my body, and I watched as the chest rose, and then fell. He tried that a few times until the man to my left, the one I thought I'd hit, reached over and put his hands on top of each other, pumping a continuous rhythm into my chest. Then he stopped, and the man across from me pulled the rectangles out, and once again my body convulsed under them.

I knew I should've been shocked, or terrified, but there was only a sense of serenity.

It felt like an hour, or two, drifted by from the time I arrived next to my body, and yet somehow I knew it had only been less than a minute. Was it really only a minute ago that I felt aware, and awake? Now I was beginning to feel weary, and even the room was giving in and slipping into a warm abyss; sleep sounded lovely. I was still standing when I decided to close my eyes, _'Only for a moment.'_ I could _feel_ the doctors and nurse's rush around me, trying to resurrect my body. But for what reason? Just so I could go back into life with everyone pointing and screaming at me?

'Tis a complex world we live in, indeed.

I was peaceful in this state, allowing the atmosphere around me to gently travel in and out of my lungs, and even through my soul. This was a place of contentment, just as I'd felt long ago when my family, and my life, seemed complete.

Now it was an endless struggle for happiness, the kind of bittersweet chocolate you ate to satisfy your hunger, but it only made you thirstier.

I was parched.

'_Ow.'_ I thought faintly, too exhausted to properly react, and I felt a pressure on my chest, and then an electric shock race through my body. Someone's warm lips covered mine, and they exhaled their coffee scented breath into my lungs.

Then the lips were gone, leaving mine unnaturally cold. Another pressure, and then a pounding on my chest. That was soon gone too. Then the shock raced through me again, and the serene environment was violently torn away, and I was swept back into my drowning pain.

The lips returned once again, and I was thankful for it, because they brought a façade of security that was gradually slipping. _'I can't breathe.'_ Now that my mind felt as if it was returning to the same state I was always used to, I realized that a part of the emptiness in my chest was because of lack of oxygen. I greedily took the air that the man was supplying me with, and fought desperately as a lump formed in my throat.

The lump seemed to block my air supply, and anxiety was seeping back. As the tingling ball of stress formed at the back of my neck, so did my other senses that allowed my mind to compute properly. It started off slow, but eventually washed over my body, like a tsunami composed of knives. Once again I was distracted with the throbbing on the side of my head, and all of my muscles were screaming.

"She's coming around!" Someone around me screamed, and the pressure in the room was less tense. They stopped what they were doing, and allowed me to breathe on my own. My throat burned and my head was slightly dizzy, and then I knew I could feel everything once again (Which I am still indecisive over whether or not that's a good thing, or a bad thing). It seemed like days since the last time I'd opened my eyes, and for some peculiar reason, I still couldn't.

That didn't bother me too much. . . I just focused on a steady beeping sound that came from somewhere in the room.

Then, just like at home last night, I fell into a comfortable slumber.

~ - ~ - ~

It wasn't long (or so I thought) until I'd awoken once again, and felt a pressure on the side of the bed I was in. My vision was slightly blurry at first as my eyes fluttered to the almost heavenly stream of light that filtered through the window, and eventually became focused enough that I could get an understanding of my surroundings. The sun on my right side was shining through in an array of yellow, but not as bright as it had been this morning. _'At least I think it's still Saturday?'_

Now that my mind was beginning to turn and my thoughts came to me more clearly, I could see that I was in a patient's room, propped up in a hospital bed, with one of those annoying plastic "dresses". Although, there was something different about this one. . . There were straps on the arm rests on each side of the bed, and my wrists were firmly strapped into place. Panic was creeping up, and I struggled to pull my hands out of them, but the exertion of energy was useless.

The weight on the side of my bed stirred, and I now realized that it was an older version of myself, "Mom?"

Mother groggily lifted her head, and from the way she was sleeping, I could already tell that her neck would protest for a much needed massage. At first her eyes concentrated on the wall behind my back, but soon lingered to my face, and it was clear that memories were flooding back to her. A spark of terror flashed into her dreary green orbs, but were caught up in a tango with pity.

She leisurely pulled herself away from the edge of the bed, and came to a rest at the back of the chair she was sitting it. "Are you feeling, alright?"

Her eyes bore deeply into mine and it was slightly uncomfortable at first, "Yes. . ." I answered in a tone that was leaning more towards _DUH_.

She smiled, and sighed as she patted my leg, but as if she were remembering a strict rule, she swiftly pulled her hand back. There were too many hidden messages to the expressions she was throwing at me, and it was all too confusing. "Are you alright, Mother?"

For a few moments she was processing the question, probably deciding whether or not she wanted to tell me how she was really feeling, and decided to go with the ordinary answer, "Yes, I'm fine."

'_No you're not.'_ My eyebrows scrunched in agitation, but she avoided eye contact.

Both of us jumped, and quickly looked up as the door in front of us creaked open, and an average, middle-aged man entered the room with a warm smile. The wrinkles on his cheeks, and the shadows under his eyes provided a façade of kindness, but like all of us, he was truly and deeply troubled.

He took his time as he paced the distance between the bed and the door, and while doing so, he analyzed a few sheets of paper in his hands. Although he was apparently a doctor, meant to bring good health to human beings, I couldn't help but feel a rising hatred as he smiled at my Mother, and she smiled back. His eyes were purposely avoiding mine, and I'm sure he could feel them like lasers on his cheek.

Mother stood up to greet him, and after they shook hands, they whispered a few comments back and forth to each other, never acknowledging my existence.

Finally, the doctor turned and glanced at the right side of my head, but eventually forced his eyes towards mine, and it was appearant that he was having much difficulty as to not look at that spot again. Of course that area was still throbbing, but there seemed to be no difference in my appearance. . . I was still Sakura.

"Good Afternoon, Sakura." _'Oh, _now _you notice me.'_ He had a bit of an Irish, or England accent sticking out in a few of the words, but it didn't completely take over his voice.

I wasn't in the mood to say anything back, and I'm sure he sensed that, so he continued, "I want to ask you a few questions," He sauntered towards the chair my Mother had been sitting in, and made himself comfortable, trying not to feel awkward. "Do you mind?"

I shrugged my shoulders in a I-really-don't-care-about-what-you-have-to-say manner, and he glanced at my wrists, almost so quickly that I didn't really catch it until I thought back on it.

"Before you were brought here, how long were you feeling ill?" I internally sighed, sensing a sort of familiarity from the previous day, _'Had it only been yesterday?' _

"I really don't know, a while, I guess. . . But I always get sick." I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

"What do you mean you 'always get sick'?"

'_What the hell do you think it means?' _"I mean that _I always get sick_." _'Duh.'_

"And by sick you mean. . ."

'_Sigh.'_ "I don't know, I just always seem to have a headache."

"Where exactly do these headaches occur?"

I squinted my eyes, ". . .in my head. . ?"

He seemed to find my response funny as he chuckled like a young, Irish Santa Clause, and replied, "I realize it's occurring in your head, I just want to know _where_."

'_Oh.'_ "Well, they're usually like these intense sinus headaches, up in my forehead, but just recently I've been getting these migraines on the right side." I lowered my body towards my right hand that was desperately trying to point up towards the soar area on my temple. It was a pathetic attempt, and he seemed to find it amusing, so I glared at him. Mother gave me a look, and it was the look that she always gave me when I was doing something "disrespectful" towards adults. Whatever. It _was_ his fault that I'm in this stupid hospital bed with straps around my wrists!

Okay. . . So maybe it's not _his_ fault. . . But who else do I have to blame around here?

"Really. . ?" He wrote a few things down on his annoying document papers, and sat there thinking for a few minutes. "Have there been any moments where your heart seemed to give off a strange, irregular heartbeat? Almost as if it would go into a state of "vibration", or flutter?"

I gave him another one of my weird looks as a way of avoiding suspicion, so that I could take my time thinking about the question. I wouldn't want to answer one the wrong way, because then I'd probably fall into a deeper mess than I already am in right now.

"I guess there was one time. . ." He made a microscopic movement closer towards me, "Is today Saturday?" I inquired quickly, changing the subject with my sudden thought.

Both Mother and the doctor exhaled a nervous laugh and nodded their heads, but it was the doctor who replied, "It _is_ Saturday, but the Saturday you're thinking of was last week-"

"I've been here for a week!" The question came out more like an exasperated moment of emotion, but I quickly recovered from the burst as soon as I saw both of them subtly flinch. The doctor appeared to be tense, and I glanced up at Mother as I heard a faint sob echo from her direction. She pinched the top of her nose as a way of holding the tear glands back from performing their jobs. Apparently there was something else they weren't discussing with me. "What's wrong, Mom?"

"It's just difficult for her to adjust-"

I shot a suspicious glare at him, "Stop lying to me, and tell me _exactly _what's going on!"

The doctor swept aside his kindness and brought up the darker side to his personality that I knew was lurking within him. "Please Sakura," He stared at me intently, asserting a sort of forcefulness, "Answer the question."

I swallowed the stressful scream that was forming in my throat, and averted my eyes away from him, "I had a dream Friday night. . . In that dream was the only time I felt what you were describing."

He sat back and eased his muscles, unclenching his jaw with them, "Thank you." He smiled again. "Now, please tell me about this dream."

I looked back at him, and dug my upcoming lie into his eyes, "I don't remember it."

He seemed skeptical, "If you can't remember your dream, how did you recall the sensation in your heart?"

"It was something different," I stumbled to form a new lie that would compliment the original, "Whenever something occurs, and it's different, it seems to become more vivid. That's why I remember the weird feeling in my heart, and not the actual dream itself, because dreams are common."

The doctor nodded his head, pushing the topic aside, and I was thankful for it. He sat there for a few moments, probably pondering on new questions that would divert from arising my anger, once again. "Have you had. . . any sort of hallucinations?"

'_Besides my dream. . . And I'm still not sure if it was _just _a dream.'_ "No. . ." _'What was with the 20 Questions?' _I looked back at my Mother to see if she was alright, and fortunately she appeared peaceful; her eyes were intent on the window. I glanced over to my right and saw small specks of black grow bigger, and then smaller, as they flapped their wings closer, and then farther. Soon the petite birds evaporated into the distance, and I was jealous of how content they appeared to be.

The world is so colossal, and that makes events like the one I'm going through all the more difficult. You can feel so small and insignificant, that your purpose doesn't appear to be as great as others explain it to be. I do believe in a type of destiny, and I have a sort of faith, but skepticism has always lingered in my thoughts. Denial was always my drug.

Even though the pain of losing my father was evident, and even though I knew my Mother was dying a little more everyday from depression, I couldn't help but push it to the back of my mind. I'm very good with dealing with situations, but once that catastrophic collapse in our stream of happiness occurred, I began ignoring all the little things that went wrong; I became stubborn.

At the corner of my eye, I noticed that the doctor was still studying me sufficiently, but then he followed my gaze to the window. "What do you see. . ?" The question drifted into the air, and laced itself around my contemplation.

I shrugged thoughtlessly, "Birds." I thought I saw him squint his eyes, as if trying to see them as well, and soon I saw my Mother staring at me strangely.

"What else can you see?"

'_Why did they need _me_ to answer that? Couldn't they see it themselves?'_ I tilted my head in wonder, trying my best to push aside annoyance, "The rays of light coming through the window. . . There's a man on one of the buildings, just over there, and a boy handing out newspapers-" I looked at both at them as they stared at me, "What? Can't you see them?"

The doctor appeared to be thinking over one subject, and then discussing another, "Sakura, we're on the fourth floor." He stated it as if it were obvious.

I hadn't realized my mouth was open slightly, so I closed it and looked back at the window, "But, they're right there, why can't you see them?"

He knew he'd already answered my question, so both of them sat quietly as they observed me. I glanced back and forth at both of them, "Stop staring at me."

They silently looked away, and the man to my left muttered an apology before building up the courage to explain his thoughts, "Sakura. . ." He began, "I'm sure that you know this by now," A few of his words stumbled, "But you're. . . different."

'_Someone's a genius.'_ I sighed before answering, "Yeah, I know."

"No, I don't think you understand-"

I gripped the arm rests to suppress my rising anger, "I already know what I am!" My vision blurred as salty tears began to build up in the corner of my eyes.

I could hear my Mother sob once again, and looked up just as she was turning the other direction, _'Even Mother doesn't want to look at me.'_

"Please let me explain." The doctor pressed. A hiccup found its way into my throat, and I urged myself to breath in and out before considering listening to him. He waited a few moments, observing my behavior carefully before deciding to go on, "We already know that your DNA has altered from containing human chromosomes, to now. . . a close representation to an animal's." I bit my lip as he continued, "That is why your body temperature has increased and decreased greatly, in a matter of seconds in the past few days." I looked over at him to study his expression, but it contained only fascination, "You've even had a few seizures, because your brain, and your body, are desperately trying to adjust to this sudden change. Normally, when the Transformation occurs in adolescents, it isn't as dangerous. This is because their bodies are already changing through puberty, and this would allow other alterations to - for the lack of a better term - "_sneak in_"."

I focused on the door at the front of the room, and nodded my head slowly to show that I was still listening, and slightly interested. He took in a breath of air, probably preparing for the upcoming conclusion, "As you may have heard many times before, becoming a "hybrid" _isn't_ impossible for someone your age, it's just rare. What many humans _don't_ know, is that when the Transformation does try to "sneak in", - now that your body is almost at a permanent state - it can be quite fatal. I've seen other young adults who have been brought into the Emergency Room, because of the Transformation, and die in there because their bodies reject such an alteration of genes."

My spine shivered for a moment as I took in this new information, and he politely allowed me to process it. "Sakura, I don't understand why your body has accepted the Transformation, but I can assure you that it's the first time I have seen it with my own eyes." With this floating in my mind, it didn't occur to me that I was "special", I was just. . . _slightly_ thankful for the fact that I was still alive. "I've watched your body fight for control over this new set of DNA for the past seven days, and trust me, it hasn't been easy for any of us here. You were difficult to control, and still you're unstable. . ." He glanced at my wrists, and looked back at me. "And yes, it was worse than just those two pieces of leather that are holding back your arms."

Confusion came over me and I couldn't picture this situation any worse than being strapped to a hospital bed. A hospital bed! Isn't the hospital supposed to make you feel warm and welcome? Right now it was having the complete opposite affect on me.

"So what you're saying is that. . ." _'How can I explain it if it hardly makes sense to me?'_ ". . .I'm different. . .but in me being this type of different, I'm a different type of _different_?" _'What?'_

"Precisely." The doctor forced the corners of his lips to form into a pathetic smile.

"Well I guess that's not so bad. . . At least I'm still alive, right?" I sarcastically smiled, trying my best to lift the tension in the air. At first I thought it worked, but both Mother and the doctor froze. Something else was still there, and it was the very thing that they were avoiding.

Mother was the first one to break, "Sakura, you. . ." The man next to me turned towards her quickly, but she shook her head and a tear slid down her cheek, "Do you remember that brown haired girl from the store?"

I thought back on it, and although my memories were slightly vague, I did recall one of the girls that had smiled at me a week ago. _'A week. . .'_ "Yes," I nodded my head, not sure as to where this was going.

"Well, she's. . . she's dead." Mother let a few more sobs escape from her chest, and bit her lip to conceal them.

'_Dead?'_ I yanked a few more memories that were stored in the back of my mind, and placed them out to carefully remember them. She was also one of the girls that was standing near me when I was. . . changing. She never spoke to me, or told me her name, and yet the bit of human that was left inside of my soul felt pity towards her. ". . .but why are you telling me this?"

"Because you killed her." The doctor stated with no emotion.

My body convulsed from the shock of his words, and disgusted me at how bluntly he'd stated it, but the shock reminded me of that fateful night. . . _'Killed her?' _I shook my head vigorously, trying to remember any moment when I'd intentionally hurt someone, or worse.

Mother allowed the dam in her eyes to break loose, and her shoulders shook with each trembling wave. _'I wonder how it must feel. . .to have a murderer for a daughter.'_

I lowered my head, confused, ashamed, and still doubtful. Although I did joke around with my friends when it came to violence (just as every other teenager did these days), I'd never go so low as to take someone's life away.

"This. . . this isn't happening." I muttered under my breath.

The doctor was still analyzing me as I thoughtlessly stared at the door, too preoccupied with my own thoughts to wonder what his were. "We're not sure what it is about you. . ." He continued to stare, "But there's something inside of your genes that makes you so _powerful_." I swallowed as hard as I could, trying to push down the reality of everything. He said '_powerful_'. . . as if this new "Transformation" was some sort of gift!

A sort of fog seemed to originate from the doctor, and he never let his eyes pull away from the side of my face. "I'm a murderer. . ." I mumbled.

For a moment I thought he was laughing at the fact that I was still on the older subject and hadn't gotten over it yet, but the laughter was only apart of my imagination, and in reality he hadn't moved a muscle. "You're dangerous." He stated.

I nodded my head, giving into my new body, "What now?"

The two other beings in the room glanced at each other, and suddenly, as if out of the Twilight Zone, the atmosphere became eerily upbeat. "What now? I'm glad you asked." The doctor smiled, and that alone evaporated the negative emotions he was exerting only five seconds ago. "Three days ago, when we noticed you were beginning to slightly stabilize, we decided to go ahead and enroll you in 'North Academy for Hybrids'."

"What!" Again, my proclamation was more like a shout than a type of question. This time, they only chuckled and giggled in their little human worlds (something I wasn't apart of), instead of flinching in fear or horror. "What about San Arcos High School, Mom? I've been at that district since I was like. . . three!"

"I know," Mother tried to calm me down, "And that's why I agreed to take you out of there. Don't you think that it's about time for something _different_?"

"Different? But-but-all of my friends are there!"

"You'll make new ones!" The doctor chuckled as I saw a reflection of Mrs. Florelock in his eyes. He then stood up from his chair, reaching over my body to unbuckle the leather straps from my wrists. I glared at him, "Are you sure you should do that? I mean, I am _powerful_, and _dangerous_ after all."

For a sudden second in time, he gave me a dark and eerie glance that sent a chilling shiver through me, but just as quickly as it occurred, he returned to his original personality. "Yes, your body is still enduring the Transformation, but because it took so long for it to actually take place, your mature for your age- Oh! That reminds me! Happy birthday, Sakura." He winked as he pulled away from the bed and I rubbed my red wrists.

"Birthday?"

I looked over at Mother and she shrugged, "It's apart of the Transformation process, Hybrids consider it "birth" when your DNA has fully "awoken". Therefore, today's your birthday."

I gave her a strange look, "Mom, how do you know that?"

She didn't seem to see it as strange as I thought it was, "I've learned a lot this past week,"

Then the doctor said, almost too cheerfully, "And right now you don't need us to explain it to you, because you'll learn all about that in your new classes."

"Wait, hold on, new classes? I haven't even gotten over the fact that I'm going to a different _school_!" I instinctively reached up to rub my temples, just as I would've done if I was _human_, but instead of feeling a flat patch of skin, I felt something spiky and rough. My mind had completely drifted from the pulsating pain that was on my right temple, but now the agony was back and there seemed to be a bruise around the rough object attached to me. I yanked my right hand back down in horror, and my voice shook. "What. . . was that. . ?"

The doctor raised his hands up as a sad way of calming me down, "Sakura, it's alright, just calm down, and I'll explain _that _to you too."

"_That?_" I repeated the word, horrified, and slowly urged my right hand to slide my fingers up towards whatever was there on _my_ head. I winced at the bruise as my fingers came closer _it's_ rough side.

Mother stuttered to find the right words, "It doesn't even look that bad!"

"It's probably best not to touch it right now-"

"_It?_" I gave an unnecessary shriek, and even began panicking a little, "Now you're giving _it_ a type of gender?"

Mother rolled her eyes a little, "Sakura, _it_ isn't a type of gender."

"Well then what do you call people who have both-"

"Sakura!"

"What?" I half screamed. "That's what you call them!"

"Actually," The doctor butted in, "The proper term is-"

Mother waved her hands around as if swatting annoying bees, "We are _not_ discussing this right now!"

The doctor chuckled, as if amused. How could he be so happy when I was still over here about to have a heart attack. "What's on my face!"

I pulled the blankets and sheets off of me, and turned to put my legs on the side of the bed. More graceful than I'd expected, I hopped off the bed and glanced around for a mirror. "Oh, right," The doctor smiled apologetically, "Well, whenever Hybrids undergo the Transformation, they may take on permanent features that distinguish them from human beings."

I scrunched my eyebrows in anticipation and worry, waiting for the right moment to scream. "What do you mean by, _permanent features_?" (Ew, ew, ew, _permanent_; I always hated that word when it came to any type of scars or deformations like _moles_! Yuck!) I quickly walked around the bed, looking for any type of reflective object that could show whatever was on my head.

He shrugged, knowing good and well that I was building up my anxiety, and with that, my scream, "Some Hybrids may have tails-" I stopped what I was doing, and quickly twisted around to examine my backside, sighing with relief when there was no furry extension protruding from my butt, "-some have tall ears-" _'Ew, again!'_ I pulled my hands up, avoiding my temples, and touched my ears, relieved that they were still their same cute size, "-some have sharp teeth and nails-" Once more I reached up towards my face, but this time I touched all of my teeth, and then I looked at my nails, just to make sure nothing freaky happened to them in the moment I took my eyes off of them. I sighed another sigh of relief when I came to the conclusion that I didn't have a tail, weird ears, sharp nails, or abnormally pointy teeth.

'_Well then what the hell is attached to me!' _"This still doesn't explain to me what's on my face!"

He chuckled once again and pointed towards another door that was behind him, this one had the traditional bathroom symbol on it, and I rushed over quicker than I thought possible. I swiftly brushed passed them and pushed open the door, taking a deep breath as I prepared to look at my new appearance-

I heard Mother mutter something from the room, "Trust me on this one doctor, you should cover your ears if you enjoy hearing."

-I rounded the corner of the door, and let out the blood curdling scream that had been stored up for the entire week.

"You were right. . ." The doctor pulled his fingers out of his ears when my scream came to a closure, and then he shook his head while Mother laughed.

"You get used to it after a while." Mother shrugged. "She always screams if she gets a zit or something silly like that, so I figure that this is like a giant zit to her."

"Well, good luck to popping _that _one." The doctor laughed at his own lame joke, and I was disgusted when I heard Mother laughing along with him.

I stared at myself in the mirror, and slowly raised my shaking hand towards the almost four inch protruding. . . _horn_ that was now apart of my features. I grazed the side of it with the tips of my fingers, almost afraid that it was going to bite me. It had rough edges that poked out like ledges, and took on the color of ivory. I was thankful that the horn didn't decide to grow in the middle of my forehead, or anywhere weird like that. It wasn't even that big, and it stayed close to the side of my head. The actual horn itself started a little bit above my right temple, but closer back towards my ear. It curved up slightly, and then back down a bit, and finally the pointed tip poked up, all the while staying horizontal.

'_Now I'm _officially_ a freak!'_

Purposely averting my attention away from _it_, I looked directly into my eyes. Another disgusted and horrified wave came over me, but that soon stopped when I realized my eyes weren't as bad. . . (Weird.) They were still the same green orbs I was born with, but now both of my pupils had orange-red rings around them that faded into the green.

I forced myself to look back at the thing on the side of my face, and then calmed myself down by looking back at my eyes. This pattern continued for a few minutes, and eventually I became tired of it and shook my head, only placing my hand on my _left_ temple. Slowly I walked out of the bathroom, and wearily plopped down on the chair that both the doctor and my Mother once sat in. I looked up at them as they anxiously stared back; I shrugged. "I like my eyes. . ?"

The atmosphere was a little awkward, and I guess they appreciated the fact that I hadn't killed them yet, either. . . _'Sigh.'_

They smiled at one another, and a few more minutes passed before the doctor decided to finally speak, "The, uhh. . . _horn _grew from the side of your skull. It's still attached, so. . ."

"So you can't get rid of it. . ." I sighed once again and shook it off. "Whatever." Pouting, I folded my arms and forcefully kept myself from turning into a five year old brat.

"Some Hybrids would be glad to have that growing out of the side of their skulls-"

"What?" I squinted at him and scrunched my eyebrows, completely confused.

"Okay, so maybe it sounds a bit strange, but it's true. Whenever a Hybrid shows a type of permanent feature, it's a very good sign that he or she has a sufficient and abnormally amount of power. Actually, what causes one of these prominant features, is when there's an 'overflow' of Hybrid energy flowing through you. The more prominant and noticable the feature is, the more energy and power a specific Hybrid has. Most of the time, the new extension gives a mediocore Hybrid a hint as to what he or she is going to be able to turn into. In your case, a human might think that you have the ability to turn into a goat-" _'Ooh, how scary, a goat! Ah! Tch. Please.'_ "-but what Hybridologists actually _know_ is that _that_ specific type of horn is incredibly rare, and that only _one_ other Hybrid has been known to possess it." He smiled triumphantly, as if I was rare treasure he found scraped up off of the ocean floor.

I shook my head (something I seem to do a lot), "Why do you keep talking about _power_?"

He smiled wider, apparently knowing other information I didn't know, "You'll find out when you get to North Academy, but until then, you should be getting ready for school on Monday."

"Oh no!" I raised my hands in protest, "I am _not_ going to a school full of-"

I looked up at Mother as I felt her become worried, "Sakura, it's the law that Hybrids go to North Academy. If they're found walking the streets without a Hybrid License, they're murdered. . ."

My head was spinning and a giant neon sign in my brain (next to _it_) was flashing, 'INFORMATION OVERLOAD'.

"I think I'd better go now," The doctor smiled, "You should get some rest while you can, because North Academy is non-stop action." He chuckled darkly, and then turned to leave.

"Wait, what does that mean?"

He opened the door and turned to answer me, "You'll find out." Then he was gone, leaving me with even more questions than I had when I first woke up.

I turned back to Mother, and she was now smiling warmly at me, "All of your books have been ordered, and I brought that backpack you always use." _'It's a messenger bag, Mother. . .'_ "As for the rest of your stuff, someone came by and brought them to the school. I think it might've been your principal. . ? I'm not sure. . . She said that the three of us would get to talk about in the morning on Monday."

Although I knew what she was saying, I had to go back to a specific part of her little speech that puzzled me, "What do you mean someone came by and brought my stuff to the school. . ?"

"Sakura," She sighed, "I thought you knew North Academy was a _boarding _school?"

'_Boarding school!' _So not only do I have to find new friends, I have to actually make a new _life_? I sighed, sitting against the chair and covering my face with my hands. "I hate my life. . ."

"Don't talk like that, Sakura!" Mother protested, another wave of emotion rising in her tone, "I just had to go through the worst week of my life! Watching you suffer, and. . ." She shook her head, fanning her face with her hands, "Never mind the past. It's over with. Done. Now let's move on to the future." She smiled (this day was annoyingly bi-polar).

I tried to return it, and she accepted my pathetic attempt at an exhausted smile, "I have your new uniform, too." She quickly changed the subject, and walked over to the side table that was next to the window, picking up a pile of folded clothes that was covered in plastic. "I thought I'd let you open it yourself." She walked over to me and handed me the 'package'.

I clawed open the plastic, and pulled out a perfectly folded gray hooded jacket that had a plaid design printed in various places. At the top of the jacket, there was an intricate design called a 'Coat of Arms', which I recently learned about in History class. Thorns and vines wrapped around the bottom half and right side of the Coat of Arms, while feathers floated down from an eagle's brisk wing at the left side, and top half. On the actual Coat of arms, was a dove flying in a peculiar way that made it seem like a white moon, and in the center was the head of a snarling wolf.

I studied the Crest carefully, wondering what each symbol could mean, until I was distracted by a word curved under the wolf. _'Ferus. . ?' _

Eventually I put the jacket aside, and picked up the traditional plaid skirt I was expecting to see. Mother laughed as I held up the skirt in slight annoyance. "The woman that came by told me that the dress code has changed significantly in the past couple of years, and now the students are getting more freedom, so it's not necessary to wear the entire uniform. Although, some students still do."

'_Oh, good, I don't _have _to wear the uniform! Although. . .'_

Then I pulled up a neatly folded white collared, long sleeved shirt that had a black vest folded underneath it. I held in a gasp as I noticed that the design of the vest was sort of like something I would see at Forever XXI! So maybe this outfit does have a style to it, I just have to tweak a few things up and I'll look more like a Hybrid than I already do!

Actually, that didn't sound _so_ bad. . . I think.

I giggled to myself as Mother studied my new uniform and even remarked, "I think it's pretty modern, it doesn't look as prep school as I thought it would."

I laughed at the idea, "Yeah, I guess the prep school look just wouldn't go along with our middle class style." I looked up at Mom and she winked at me.

"Well hey, I'm going to let you go ahead and rest, is there anything you want me to get? Food maybe?"

I sighed, "Mom, I've been resting for an entire _week_!" _'Sort of. . .' _"Am I not allowed to walk around and get my own food?"

She thought about for a minute, "The doctor _did_ say that you need to rest for school on Monday, so I think. . ." I looked at her incredulously, and finally she said, "Okay, fine! But right after we get something to eat, you have to go straight to bed!"

I smiled and jumped up enthusiastically, and was about to head towards the door when I looked down at myself, "What am I going to wear. . ?" I still had on the hospital robe thing, which was more like a plastic sheet than any type of legal shirt.

Mother laughed, "You don't need to change, we're in a hospital sweety, and we're only going down to the cafeteria on the first floor."

"What? No Subway?" I pulled up my hand and pointed in a matter-of-fact sort of way, "I think I deserve Subway after a week of Hybrid drama!"

She put her finger on her chin, thinking carefully, "They have pudding. . ?" She suggested.

I stared at her for a moment, "Is it _chocolate_ pudding?" She nodded her head with one of her dorky smiles, "Alright! You got me! Let's go!"

I pointed towards the door and walked briskly out, Mother soon followed after me, but eventually I stopped halfway down the hall when I realized she was no longer behind me. I turned around and watched her as she folded her arms, tapping her foot. "What?" I raised my hands, impatient on letting my pudding wait.

"You're going the wrong way." She stated nonchalantly, with laughter laced in it. I smiled, and walked back the other direction passed the door, and towards the elevator.

I was thankful that there wasn't anyone in the elevator, because I wasn't _quite_ ready for other people to see my _horn_, or multicolored eyes. Unfortunately, the elevator ride didn't give me much time to think about how I was going to act around other people, so I just took a deep breath as the elevator dinged when it hit the first floor. Mother and I walked out of the elevator, and into a lobby that was separated from the waiting rooms, or the public eye in general.

Mother must've sensed my confusion as we walked down a large hallway with tinted windows, and turned to push open two doors that lead to the cafeteria room. "They had to place you in a special segment of the hospital, so that the media or biased citizens couldn't get to you. Also, they didn't want to offend others over the fact that the hospital was taking care of a, um, Hybrid."

'_How annoying. . .'_ It's strange how now that I'm on this jaded side of the fence, I can observe, feel, and understand what it's like to be different. When I was on the human side, I detested and ignored Hybrids, but now that I was forced onto their side, I'm annoyed with_ humans_. Another thing that I am certain of, is that I'm not only a Hybrid, but I'm a different _type_ of Hybrid, because appearantly there's a variation of Hybrids. _'How many other Hybrids are there?'_ It's clear to me now that the defintion, "Hybrid: A human being who has the ability to morph into an animal", is very, very broad. As to how extensive and broad the definition goes, I'm not sure, but I'm hoping that all of my questions will be answered at North Academy.

I knew that this was only the beginning, and that whatever was outside these walls in the 'special segment' area of the hospital, wasn't going to be too kind to my new appearance. I internally laughed at how weird, yet okay I felt with actually looking a bit different. Like I said before, I'm still Sakura. This was just one of those things that was going to take a very long time to get used to, and one of those things that required _a lot _of optimism.

* * *

**If you read the old now, and now you have read the "new" one, you can see that I've revised a few parts.  
I'm hoping that this will clear up a bit of the confusion, and if you - the audience - are still confused, let me know!  
I want to make this story well written, and understood, so that you can enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoy writing it.  
Help me grow as a writer, and critic me _without_ the negative comments, please!**

**Thank you!**


	3. Focus On Forgetting

* * *

'North Academy for Hybrids'

By: GaaraFox

Chapter III: _Focus On Forgetting_

* * *

One after another, the ends of my fingers hovered over my restless, chattering teeth. I glanced at all of them for a moment, deciding which one I had over looked and needed a good chewing.

"Stop that!" Mother slapped down both of my hands while keeping her other hand on the wheel, and her eyes on the road.

I glared at her, and huffed, folding my arms and squeezing my hands under my armpits. When a few minutes had gone by, and I knew she was engrossed with the song on the radio, I took the opportunity to secretly take one of my hands out. I relaxed as my thoughts ventured from my new school, to being occupied with nail biting.

"Sakura." She said in a warning, death tone.

"Mom." I mimicked the tone disrespectfully.

She continued to keep her eyes on the road ahead, but I could see the anger flash in her eyes, "Do I have to tie your hands down?"

"What's the big deal anyway?" I whined.

"It's disgusting! And your nails will be too short to cut properly!"

'_Oh my God, holy crap, I'm gonna die! Oh please save me! Ah!' _I rolled my eyes to the far right so she couldn't see my brief moment of teenager-ness. Mother sighed and I knew she saw the action, _'Haha.'_

"Are you alright, Sakura?"

I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to get into a sympathetic, serious conversation. "Yeah, I guess."

"You know, it's okay to be nervous." _'Apparently not, because otherwise I'd be allowed to chew my own nails.' _I decided to think this last comment, instead of saying it out loud, just to avoid her anger flashing up at me again. Then I directed my eyes to the far right, watching trees speed by on an endless highway that appeared to be in the middle of no where. _'Where is this school?'_

I sighed, and tugged on my white shirt - the one I'd received at the hospital yesterday. I'd rolled up the long sleeves because it was only October, and the weather stayed humid most of the time. I swiftly glanced over at Mother, and was thankful that she seemed to have dropped the main topic of her internal conversation, but most likely put it in a drawer somewhere in her head so she can remember to bring it up later. My eyes swiveled back to my window, but there wasn't much to look at, except for trees, and trees, and more trees! And sometimes there'd be a small opening where you could see the sun as it merrily blinded you.

After a long, tense silence, I figured it was time to smooth the air with a new conversation, "How far out do you think the school is?"

She thought about it for a moment, tapping her index fingers on the wheel, and eventually replying, "Not too much farther, I don't think."

I sighed once again, keeping my arms crossed, and leaning back low into my seat while lazily watching the front window. Every so often Mother would lean her head to the side and check, then double check the map she was given by the mysterious woman who dropped off my new school clothes, and took all my stuff. _'Jerk.'_

Mother was beginning to appear anxious, and was most likely certain we were just about anywhere but near the school. This became especially obvious when she began fidgeting with the steering wheel, working her hands around it, or tapping uncanny rhythms. Of course, I wasn't really that anxious to get to the school, because then Mother, my protector and guardian, would have to leave me with a bunch of strangers. Naturally, that should be exciting, but I'm sure it's evident by now that I don't find sudden changes thrilling.

Plus, not only will I be forced to live with someone I don't know, and go to school with a bunch of some ones I don't know, but I'll also have be away from Mother for a very long time. What is she going to do without me? Wake-up and go to work, and then go home and watch T.V. shows? Not only is she going to be terribly lonely (I glanced over at her to catch it in her eyes), but there's also the possibility she may try to replace me with - I glared at the front window - someone else.

I shuddered at the thought, and pushed down my rising temper. I honestly do want her to be happy, but she couldn't possibly start dating again, it was an unspoken rule after my Father's death.

Suddenly, pulling me out of my drifting thoughts, Mother's mood seem to perk up enthusiastically. I looked over at her and saw that she was squinting, "Look, I think there's a sign."

I sat up just as quickly as she had, and focused my eyes on the sign that was drifting towards us; in delicate letters it said, "North Academy"

"Okay. . .so we found a sign, now where's the school?" I raised my hands up in a 'if-you-can't-find-it,-how-am-I-supposed-to-know-where-it-is?' sort of way. Like you would do if you went to someone's house and they kept asking you where their keys were, and you were agitated because you knew you were going to be late for the movies.

Mother scrunched her eyebrows together, as a way of frustrated thinking, and said, "Well, at least we're on the right road, right?"

I sarcastically laughed, crossing my arms once again in impatience, and wondering if this whole ordeal was really necessary. I mean, I could control my temper and _still_ graduate from San Arcos! That's all I really wanted, to graduate from the district I'd been at since I was three, and then possibly go to a Hybrid college if that made everybody happy! _'Are there even Hybrid colleges?'_

For a few minutes, both of us were distracted by our own thoughts, but that was until we focused in on the next distraction: Two ample, wooden, Cathedral-like doors stoop agape, and presented us with a massive black hole. The curved "doorway" to the upcoming tunnel seemed to be made of old stone, and was covered entirely in bright green moss and twisting vines, suffocating the old structure.

I tried to sit up taller and crane my neck to see beyond the ancient stone tunnel, but it was surrounded and engrossed in thick trees. Plus, the mouth of the tunnel, and the rest as well, was too colossal to see around.

Mother and I sat perplexed and intrigued by the stupendous doorway, and each of our mouths hung open wide as we continued to look up when we came closer to it. Her driving had slowed down a bit, giving us more of a chance to observe the high ceiling, and the doors that presented the somber passageway.

"Why would they need such a large tunnel?" Mother asked out loud, but was quiet enough that it was more of a spoken thought not wanting an answer.

"Why can't they be down the street, and normal like my _old _school?" She turned and gave me one of her looks, something between disappointed and sarcastic (with the raised eyebrow), but then turned her attention back to the enormous work of old architecture in front of us. "Well, are you going to go through, are we just going to sit here going three miles an hour?"

Mother scuffed as she finished observing the outside, and lightly stepped on the gas, slowing speeding up as she became more sure that the tunnel was just completely straight, and didn't have any unexpected turns. Soon we were flying down the onyx space; a few lights were on each side of the tunnel, but other than that, it was just as black as any night. The dim lights would appear, and then disappear, reminding me of the dark highways back at home. I shifted my eyes back to the right, curious of the stone wall as pictures on it shifted quickly. Some were of peculiar animals that seemed at peace, while others appeared troubled and in pain.

My head, along with my thoughts, shot back to the front window as I saw sunlight drifting into the tunnel, and blinding me before I could focus on what was ahead. We shot out of the tunnel like a bullet escaping from the loading barrel, and a few birds quickly fled to safety, scattering in the air all around the car. Mother slowed down as the concrete beneath us shifted to a somewhat smooth dirt road.

"Wow. . ." Both Mother and I whispered at the same time. Ahead of us, the dirt road split off in two ways, but appeared to reunite up ahead, creating a circle around a voluminous fountain in the middle. A few large trees stood proudly on the luscious green lawn, and provided a home and shade for the fleeing birds, and even a few jittery squirrels. We slowly made our way around the fountain, and stopped on the side of the dirt road - leaving enough room for other cars - which led to another set of Cathedral-like doors imported from Rome.

We tentatively stepped out of the car and fixed our eyes on the wide building, and colossal wooden doors that almost glowed gold against the sun's rays. The walls seemed to be composed of maroonish-brown bricks, and had gray stone designs in some places, giving it a sort of mythical appearance. The framing of the wooden doors sunk in slightly, and from the distance we were standing, you could subtly see designs sketched into the stone.

Mother straightened her posture and fixed her hair by running her fingers through out, fidgeting with her fake Coach purse, and finally walking briskly to the front door (the very large wooden one). As for myself, I turned away from the beauty of the school, because my curiosity was bringing me back towards the enormous round fountain at the center of the dirt road's circle. Although I was never really good at distinguishing stones, the fountain appeared to be made of something slightly duller than marble, but still close to that substance. It was even evident that small parts were made of bronze, so I came to the conclusion that the structure was composed of a collision of elements.

The sun continued to lick the side of my face, so I raised my hand up to block the light as a way to get a better look at the structure. A few spots radiated on the statue, glistening against the water's reflection. There was a square platform that raised up from the water, and held a proud wolf. He was staring suspiciously at the tunnel, but his body was parallel to the school. His back legs were steady on the block beneath him, but his front legs were a bit above the ground, as if he were in mid-jump and quickly looked towards the tunnel as he heard a distant sound.

Coming up around to where his tail was facing, I could see large letters etched into the stone, "E-A-H?" I thought out loud, and observed that the lettering was composed of bronze. I scrunched my eyebrows, and bent forward a little closer, now noticing that there was a suite of arms underneath the lettering. This suite of arms was somewhat similar to the one I'd found on my jacket, because it contained the same sweeping vines underneath, and even the protective eagle. The only difference was that there wasn't a wolf within the crest, instead of the wolf, there was a large wave awaiting gravity to pull it down. And instead of the peculiar dove, there was something that resembled a crab's claw, but the lack of finer detail on the bronze made it difficult to decipher. Actual water from the fountain jutted out in a horizontal line from underneath the crest, splashing into the pool beneath it.

I pulled away from my close observations, and stood there staring at it numbly for a few minutes. Even more curious now, I began to make my way towards the front of the statue - with my back to the tunnel - and noticed that there was another set of letters, this time reading, "S-A-H." It too was molded from bronze, and also had it's own coat of arms that contained the same basic structure as the other, with the sweeping eagle and feathers, and contorting vines. Except this time, instead of a wolf or a wave, there was an animal that appeared to be something like a deer, but with long antlers like a reindeer. I wasn't too sure what type of animal it was, because the bronze once again disallowed me from seeing the full details of the crest. But upon further investigation, I discovered that the animal's horns curved towards the eagle, almost molding together with the feathers. Also, there wasn't an extra symbol on this crest, like the crab claw or dove. And just like on the previous side, real water jutted out in a horizontal line from underneath the suite of arms.

Once again I stood back, quickly wondering if the next side would have a similar design like the other two. I skipped to the third side, which was the direction the wolf was jumping, and this time I found, "W-A-H." As I thought, there was another suite of arms made of bronze underneath the letters, and it too had the basic structures of the others, such as the eagle, the eagle's falling feathers, and the destructive vines. Of course, this one had a different center piece, and I sort of felt a sense of familiarity whenever I instantly noticed that it was a snarling tiger head. I smiled, and instantly made this crest my favorite, although I most likely would've liked it even more if it was a lion. Also, instead of having a dove, a crab's claw, or any morphing nonsense, there was what seemed to be an owl diving towards the tiger with it's claws first. Although, whenever I looked more closely at it, I came to the conclusion that the owl was most likely getting ready to attack the vines. Once more, a horizontal line of water jutted out from beneath the crest.

Finally, I pulled away from the third one, and quickly walked over to the fourth side - with my back to the school. This time, the bronze letter stated something familiar, "N-A-H?" I inquired, wondering if the other three were Hybrid schools just as North Academy was. I stared intently at the lettering, and quickly recognized the familiar suite of arms that was on my jacket, and represented my new school.

'_How interesting. . .'_ Okay, so maybe I was a bit more fascinated by this school than San Arcos, because at least here there was a sense of mystery to unfold. There was even the spine tingling, hair raising, adrenaline pumping anxiety that I now knew awaited me past those colossal doors.

"Sakura!" I spun around upon hearing someone call my name, "Come on!" I focused in on my Mom who was impatiently waiting for me at the front door.

When I got there - slightly out of breath from the quick sprint - I noticed that Mother seemed a bit anxious, yet slightly apprehensive as she raised her petite palm and grasped the giant door knocker. It puzzled me how such a small knocker would be able to radiate loud enough to tell someone on the inside that they had a guest, and one permanent member of the family. _'Yay for them.'_

The door on the right - the one with the knocker - gently creaked open. Mother and I glanced at each other, and stood there outside, unsure of what to do next. Mother was the first to make a move, so she used the palm of her hand to push open the door. I was surprised that it didn't take her much effort, since she was so small compared to the door's size. It creaked on it's old hinges, and finally came to rest at an obtuse angle. Both of us stepped forward to peek inside, but it was Mother who managed to squeak, "Hello? Anybody here?"

Now gaining a bit of bravery from watching Mother do everything so far, I replied to her in a slightly louder tone, "Mom, no one's going to hear you if you're that quiet!" Both of us froze as my voice echoed throughout the building, as if ghosts were mimicking our cowardly egos. After the echoing ceased, the only sound was the trickling of the fountain a few meters behind us, and the pounding of our own hearts. The woman next to me gathered up a bit more of her courage, and took a few steps into the mansion.

Eventually I did the same, not wanting to be left behind, and quickly passed her up since my steps were a bit more confident. I listened to the resonating sound my heavy shoes made on the marble flooring, as a way of calming my nerves, and soon recognized that the second pair of shoes stopped. _'Mother is probably still a bit hesitant.'_ Then there was more creaking, and I guessed that she was probably closing the door.

I internally shrugged my shoulders, and marched on ahead, wanting to closely observe a new structure I'd spotted from the doorway. Four pillars stood in the center, reaching from the floor all the way up to the reasonably high ceiling, with each occupying a corner of an invisible square. At the very center of the mythical square, a snarling wolf stood hunched over on top of a large pedestal.

The wolf on top of the fountain was carved to be majestic, courageous, protecting, and mighty, while this wolf bore aggressive features, and even the creator crafted the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up in a harsh manner. The only similarity between the one inside, and the one outside, was that they both shared the mid-jump stance, with their back legs down and their front legs up. Although, this wolf glared down at me with snarling teeth, as if ready to pounce on his prey. There was even North Academy's suite of arms, made out of bronze, underneath him just how the wolf had outside. What was different about this structure though, was that above the suite of arms, there was a large inscription of the word 'Ferus'.

I scratched the back of my head, squinting my eyes as I walked around the statue in a silent investigation. Unfortunately, a peculiar sound pulled me from my thoughts, and bounced off the stones walls, confusing me as to what direction the sound was coming from. I strained my ears to listen closely, and finally observed that it was a type of clicking. The sound started of softly, and then grew louder as it seemed to be getting closer, almost like tiny, resonating footsteps. I spun around, glancing in every direction until I finally settled on my Mom, who appeared to be leaning more towards fear than curiosity.

In a simultaneous movement, Mother and I caught sight of a small pink object _trotting _towards me. The little pink creature couldn't have been more than a half a foot tall, and gingerly stopped a few feet away. The little creature's eyes gazed at mine with what appeared to be curiosity, and intrigue; I displayed the same.

It was silent for a little while before Mother decided to speak, "Is that a pig?" I tore my eyes away from the so called pig, and gazed at her as her top lip perked up in disgust. I giggled for a brief moment before turning my attention back towards the little pink pig. Strangely, there was a different emotion as I locked eyes with the tiny creature, and eventually a light buzzing popped in my ears. I tried to scratch it out, like you would with an annoying itch, but the action was useless.

The sound wasn't one that I could _see_, it was more of a reverberation of my thoughts, and an annoying itch on my eardrum. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the repetitious echo. I glanced back down at the pig, and noticed that the creature was gazing at me intently, as if he were the source of my distress. Before I could comprehend any of my other thoughts, a sharp jolt electrified my brain. I grabbed my forehead, recalling the distress I'd been in a week ago, and gritted my teeth as I hunched over, once again helpless.

"Sakura?" I heard heavy footsteps fall faster and faster as Mother made her way towards me. She hesitantly raised a shaking hand over my quavering figure, but was apparently too afraid to risk the comforting administration.

"No! Bad Tonton!" The pig in front of me made a 'buhi-buhi' whine and turned away from me to face the woman who had called the little pink animal by his name. Once Tonton's focus was preoccupied with something other than staring at me, the pain and annoying buzzing went away. I stood upright again, adjusting my composure as confusion settled over me. Mother's hand was still in the air, shaking, and she was evidently frightened by my sudden change in behavior.

"Are you alright?" Mother asked me, slowly lowering her hand. I nodded my head and watched as a dark-haired woman ran towards us as the pig enthusiastically jumped into her arms.

"Sorry about that." She apologized when she was finally near us, sheepishly smiling and using one of her arms to support the pig, while the other scratched the back of her head. "Hi, I'm Shizune, you must be the Harunos." She continued to grin, and held out one of her hands in a polite welcome.

We stared at her for a moment as she held her composure, and finally Mother took her hand and said, "Mrs. Haruno." Then, I took her hand and said, "Sakura Haruno."

"It's so nice to finally meet you Sakura! We've been expecting you for quite some time." _'Creepy. . .' _"I just know you'll love it here!"

I smiled back the best I could, but I didn't want to start talking about the school just yet, I wanted to know what had just happened. "Why did he do that to me?"

The woman known as Shizune had to take a few seconds before adjusting to the conversation change. She glanced down at Tonton, and then looked back up at me with an apologetic smile and said, "He was just trying to talk to you."

I raised an eyebrow, and felt my Mother fold her arms doubtfully, "Talk to me?" I repeated, feeling a little doubtful myself.

She exuberantly nodded her head, "When the Transformation occurs in a Hybrid, their brainwaves are tuned to adjust to both the human language, and an animal's thoughts. Of course, animals aren't _programmed _like a Human, so the way they speak is slightly different, and sometimes doesn't make _any _sense." In her eyes, I could see her chuckle at a distant memory, "Normally," She glanced at the right side of my face where my horn was, and then back at me, "An animal will know it's okay to _speak_ to a Hybrid when he or she can feel the Hybrid's brainwave connection, which is sometimes sent off by your energy, and your abundance in energy is what creates a Hybrid feature." She tapped the side of her head, indicating my personal feature, "Unfortunately, Tonton was confused by your Hybrid feature, and hasn't encountered a Hybrid who was already developed such a strong feature without being fully developed, mentally."

I raised one eyebrow and Mother shifted her hips uncomfortably, "So what does that mean?" I asked.

"It just means that you're late in your Transformation, and like all newborn Hybrids, it will be a while before you're able to focus on the flow of your energy." Her smile widened, "Once you're there, you can begin intense training, and then your energy will be focused enough to speak to Tonton."

I had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing hysterically, because for some strange reason, everything I'd learned so far seemed to crash down onto a pile labeled, "PREPOSTEROUS". Not only should I _not _have a horn growing out of the side of my head, but I also shouldn't have any sort of "mystical energy" stored up inside me, or the hidden ability to "speak to animals".

A shiver ran up from my spine and drifted throughout my limbs, giving me the sensation that I was being ripped in half, but in such a way that didn't cause pain. One side of my mind protested how illogical everything was, while the other side was enthusiastic and gullible. And although the two sides were evident, I couldn't help but feel a third that was greedily harboring all of my negative emotions: anger, fear, anxiety, and hunger. A deep hunger that silently, yet quickly, rose up to the surface, creating goose bumps all over my body, until it just as quickly went back down into hiding.

She smiled naively at me, and said, "Follow me, I'll take you two to the office so we can get Sakura's dorm room number, key, and schedule." Then she swiftly turned around on her heel, and began walking towards a door that was on the left side of the building when you first walk in, and just a few feet away from the front entrance.

A medium sized desk sat next to the office door, and held numerous amounts of papers that were expertly organized into neat piles. At the edge of the desk there was a name plate that said, "Secretary Tsuchi".

Shizune caught me observing the desk, "Normally our secretary, Kin, would've introduced you to the school and brought you into the office, but she's currently at lunch. If Tonton hadn't ran off suddenly, I wouldn't have found you two out here."

She smiled, and went over to the office door to hold it open for Mother and I as we walked in. Surprisingly, North Academy's office looked just like San Arcos', because it actually appeared normal and inviting; the walls weren't made of stone, but were modified walls like they had at my old, cheap high school. There were a few adults walking around with coffee in their hands, sitting at desks and writing things down, scrolling through websites on the computers, or having light conversations that were murmurs from where I was standing.

"How many times have you told you that-!" A woman's stern voice suddenly erupted from somewhere at the very back of the office, but was quickly covered up by a loud banging sound, as if something very large was being thrown. Everyone in the office looked up and seemed to all sigh at once while Mother and I stood there with confused and horrified looks plastered on our noob faces.

"It's always them! They're always the ones who start it!" Another voice started up, and this one sounded like a younger male, but still had a squeak to his voice like he was about to piss his pants. I slightly giggled at the thought, but soon stopped as his voice was consumed by the woman's.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me you little-!"

The male screamed in a low tone, "Don't hit me!"

Shizune turned toward us and smiled, as if nothing was happening in the back, "Go ahead and take a seat, I'll be right back."

We gratefully obliged, and sat on the comfortable maroon leather love seat that was against the wall, and watched as Shizune sauntered down the hall towards the chaos. Everyone in the office was quiet and appeared to be listening intently to whatever was going to happen, but that didn't stop them from glancing over at us and whispering every now and then.

A small knock bounced off the walls, and then the eruption of a door being thrown open came next. "Shizune! Where have you been? Please tell the trouble maker here what our rules are!" We couldn't hear Shizune's reply, because she must've been whispering it as a way to calm the woman down. "Exactly! And you know what he did?" The office went quiet again, "He did the exact opposite of that rule! Again! How many times has it been already?" This time it sounded like she was directing her attention towards the boy, but I couldn't tell because the response was just as quiet as Shizune's.

The sound of papers being thrown around was then evident, like someone in the back was searching for something. A minute or two of silence went by, and eventually the woman yelled, "You are suspended from after school combat until you can learn to behave yourself! I'm giving you _one_ week!"

"But that's not fair!" The boy replied angrily, and upset at the same time, "I always go to the Stadiums after school!" _'The Stadiums?'_ I thought curiously.

"Don't even start again! It's already been said, now get out of my office and get back to class!"

Heavy stomping came from the back hallway and slowly increased in sound as someone made their way back into the main room of the office. All of the adults in the room hurriedly went back to what they were doing, as if they held a façade of innocence and would never eavesdrop. '_Tch.'_

The being that was stomping furiously finally emerged from the hallway, and I realized it was the boy that the woman had been yelling at. He had spiky yellow hair, and black lines on his cheeks that resembled whiskers - which I thought to be one of his Hybrid permanent features. His gray school jacket was tied around his waist, and he was wearing a plain orange shirt that fit his torso, but was still slightly loose. He seemed a _bit_ enraged because his eyes were (almost literally) shooting lasers through the walls, and his fists were clenched so tight the veins were sticking out.

Before he followed the woman's orders to leave the office and return to class, he glanced at Mother and I, but finally settled his eyes on me. His composure fell loose as he relaxed and flashed me a sweet smile with a wink, but then finally tore his eyes away and angrily pushed open the door.

"Sakura?" Shizune called from the entrance of the hallway. My head perked up and away from the office door, distracting me from my thoughts, "This way please." She smiled, but I could sense a sort of doubt to it, as if she wasn't sure it was safe enough to go back there (I wasn't even sure myself).

Mother and I shot sidebar glances at each other before taking the opposite path the blonde haired boy had retreated on. A few murmurs erupted from the front room of the office as the adults began evidently speaking of either me, or the other situation. After a few seconds of walking down the hall, we stopped at a door, close to the end, that proudly presented, "Principle's Office". I swallowed a lump in my throat, and let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding, before walking in after Shizune.

The room was bright and oddly cheery, and didn't appear to be damaged because everything was perfectly organized. _'Either they changed rooms at the last second, or they're fast cleaners.' _I chose the last option, because the papers on the Principal's desk were completely disorganized and scattered across the wooden surface, and it seemed it would take a lot longer than five minutes to create that type of mess.

"So you must be Sakura!"

I turned towards the woman who was speaking to me, and smiled as wide as I could as a way of establishing that I didn't want to be on her bad side. I politely held my hand out and said, "Yes, I'm Sakura Haruno-"

She returned the gesture quickly, "And I'm your new principal, Tsunade." She let go of my hand and smiled back at me before turning to my Mother and delivering a similar introduction.

I'm not sure what it is about this school, but apparently the adults enjoy being called by their first names; I made a quick note in my head that I should ask someone later about why they do that. I'm not complaining, though, because I like it better than when adults are overprotective of "respect", but I suppose I won't know 'until I'm older'. (How many times have you heard that line before?)

The woman in front of me was exceptionally perky, but still carried a tone of dominance when she looked us in the eyes or made a comment. To me, she appeared beautiful, young, and wise, but I'm sure the first two have been tweaked a bit over the years. Although, she didn't appear to be someone who was concerned with modesty, since her low v-line shirt left more to reality than actual imagination. Altogether, she carried herself as a highly respected woman who most likely doesn't care what others think of her, but still takes the time to smile and enjoy life.

"Please, sit." She smiled, and gestured toward two leather seats in front of her wooden desk. "So Sakura, tell me, how old are you? Thirteen? Fourteen?"

"I'm sixteen, ma'am." Somewhere inside my eye twitched and a vein popped, but I held my composure.

"Sixteen?" She seemed surprised, but somehow I could sense that she already knew everything about me. Which I really didn't mind, I was just thankful that she wasn't staring at my horn. "Wow, I'm not sure if we've ever had anyone enter any of our Academy's when they were sixteen, but then again I only _govern_ one." She lightly chuckled at her own joke.

Next to me, Mother situated herself uncomfortably, "You mean, there's more than one?"

"Of course there's more than one!" Both of us jumped back at her sudden rise in tone, "As a matter of fact, there's four main branches that the Hybrid Academies launch off of, and that's 'N-A-H', 'E-A-H', 'S-A-H', and 'W-A-H'. Each obviously starting with North, South, East, and West, and were all founded by miraculously brilliant Hybrids. One of those Hybrids being my own grandfather, and another my uncle." She beamed proudly, and then turned towards me, "But you'll learn more about that in Hybrid History." _'Hybrid History?' _She shrugged and waved the subject away as if it were an actual being needing dismissal.

"Oh," Shizune exclaimed behind me, "That reminds me, I need to get Sakura's schedule."

"You mean you don't have it with you?" Tsunade seemed shocked, and raised her eyebrows with it. "Are you sure it's not here?" She looked down at the unorganized mess on her desk.

"Uh, no, but I was just about to-"

"Well what are you doing? Go along! Go get it!"

I heard Shizune quietly sigh before walking out the door and leaving all three of us in silence. Tsunade was flipping through pieces of paper on her desk before finally finding one that made her smile in triumph, as if it were a needle in a haystack. "Here, I think you might need this, it's a map of our school."

"Oh," She handed it to me and smiled, "Thank you." I smiled back, and fumbled with the thick, folded paper, internally sighing and wondering how large this place was and how long it was going to take to find everything.

"So before Shizune returns, is there anything you want to go ahead and ask me? Any questions or concerns?" She looked over at Mother as she said the last part.

"Oh, yes," Mother spoke up, as if remembering a mental note, "Since Sakura is coming into this school late, what are her classes going to be like? I mean, is she going to be behind, or need to stay in longer?"

Tsunade tapped her chin and sat back in her large chair before answering, "We've been discussing that for quite a while now-" _'That sounds creepy too.'_ "-and we're hoping we can push her classes a little faster so she will be able to graduate from the Academy at the same time that the other Juniors are." She looked up at me expectantly, "You are a Junior, right?"

"Yes ma'am." I said quickly. _'Duh.' _I smiled deviously.

She chuckled lightly, as if she heard my inside comment, but decided not to respond to it, and instead went on with the subject, "Of course, it does help that Sakura was in the higher classes at her last school, because now that she's in English IV this year, she'll be able to take one of _our _classes in that spot as a way to help her catch up."

"Oh, that's nice." Mother smiled at Tsunade, and then at me. Tsunade eyed her for a quick moment when she looked away, but went back to her kind composure when Mother turned back towards her. "So what do you mean by 'your' classes?"

"Well," Tsunade sat up with her hands extended, ready to make gestures, "At a Human high school, you have regular courses such as 'World or US History', 'Biology', and other classes where you learn modern languages such as 'French' and 'Spanish', correct?" We nodded so she would continue, "But at our school we have-"

"Here it is Tsunade!" Shizune glided in and handed her a piece of paper, but Tsunade refused it and instead pointed at me. Shizune walked over and handed me the paper, a grin accompanying her lips.

"What is this?" I asked in a naïve tone, when apparently it said, "North Academy for Hybrids - Schedule: Haruno, Sakura". _'Oh, haha, whoops.' _

"That there, is your new schedule." Tsunade pointed towards the paper in my hands, and then looked up at Shizune, "You were right on time! I was just discussing with Sakura what types of classes we have here at North Academy."

I glanced over the list and instantly took a double take at the first three classes, all sounding extremely strange and foreign to me. "Intro. To Hybridology?"

"Ooh, one of my favorite classes when I was younger." Shizune beamed.

"Mine as well," Tsunade agreed, but I still had no idea what it was.

"What exactly, is it?" I asked, and they both giggled in their silly adult manner. _'Yet another little world I'm not apart of. . .'_

Tsunade was the first one to answer, "Hybridology is what we consider our science course, and it's basically the study of Hybrids, but it also includes Biology and Chemistry, which becomes more complex through Hybridology two, three, and finally four."

I slightly scrunched my eyebrows together and shook my head, "But I've already taken IPC, Biology, _and _Chemistry! I'm not really looking forward to doing all of that again!"

"Actually," Tsunade started, "Those courses that you took were taught in a Human high school, and are considered to be Human science. Everything that you learn here will be of the Hybrid perspective, and you'll be surprised how many Hybrids walk among you everyday." She smirked.

"Excuse me?" Mother cut in, and Tsunade turned her attention to her. "I thought Hybrids weren't allowed to-"

"Live?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "Hybrids are the same as Humans, Mrs. Haruno." She spat. "The only difference is that we may be slightly more advanced due to our sixth sense, which is connected to the Animal Kingdom. Other than that, we're just like you." She shrugged off the subject, but quickly began thinking again and went back to it, "Actually, there is one other difference, see Humans don't need to have a license, but a Hybrid must graduate from one of the Academy branches and earn a 'Hybrid License'."

"Hybrid License?" I repeated, slightly fascinated. It sounded strangely familiar, as if I heard it from someone recently. . . _'Wasn't Mother the one who told me about it?'_ If she was, then why was she asking such a question?

"Yes," She smiled at my new enthusiasm, "You will actually earn yours when you graduate from North Academy. It's a simple way to show that you're a "tamed" Hybrid," She rolled her eyes at this, "And that you're suitable for any Human jobs, or even the Hybrid Military." _'Hybrid Military?'_ "One of the things that you're going to notice here at school, is that our students are more excited about earning their license than receiving their diploma!" She lightly chuckled once again, and it was beginning to seem familiar and comforting; I smiled along with her, and eventually she regained her composure, "Tell me, what's your second class?"

"Oh, yeah," I looked back down at my paper, having completely forgotten about it, and read, "Hybrid History I?" _'Isn't that what she was talking about earlier?'_

"Ah yes!" Mother and I jumped back at her shout, "Hybrid History!" Her eyes lit up with wisdom, "Another exciting class where you'll learn absolutely everything there is to know about the past, present, and future of Hybrids. All the way down from the dark and disturbing, back up to the triumphant and successful! Such as my marvelous relatives, and the other men who courageously founded these Academies."

Mother cleared her throat, "Shouldn't Sakura be in classes where she can learn about the History of the country she lives in? Instead of-"

"Mrs. Haruno," Tsunade interrupted her, "Sakura is no longer a single-minded Human," Acid laced her words, "But she is now a unique being, a Hybrid. Therefore, it's crucial for her to learn of her true ancestor's past, and relish in the joy that she is now apart of it."

"Right, sorry." Mother mumbled, and I felt a wave of sympathy fall over me as she kept her silent composure.

Tsunade tore her dominant stare away from her, and softened when it went back towards me. She smiled, and I hurriedly glanced down at my schedule, reading my third class, "Latin I?"

Tsunade lightly shook her head, "It's a shame Humans consider Latin to be a dead language, because I believe it's still alive and well within all of us, since it was a dominant language longer than English has been."

"Really?" I asked dubiously.

She sighed and nodded, "But I'm not going to waste your time by explaining all of your courses, since I'm sure you want to get settled in your new dorm-"

"Oh yeah!" Shizune exclaimed behind me once again, "I need to get her dorm room key! I'll be right back!" And then she ran out the door before Tsunade could mutter a single word.

Tsunade shook her head with a smile and then turned her attention back towards me, "You can ask me about one more class, and that's it." She pointed at me.

I looked back down at my paper and read aloud, "Okay, I know what Art III is, because I had it at my old school-" She looked at me cautiously, "-but I'm guessing that it leans more towards Hybrid artwork and artists?" I hurriedly added in, and she smiled. "Next I have. . .Algebra II?" I sighed in annoyance, _'I hate math.' _"Then there's English IV," I nodded towards her, "One of my favorite subjects," I added in, and she smiled back. "And finally, Athletics. . .I don't recall signing up for Athletics. . .doesn't this school just have P.E.?"

Tsunade shook her head and smirked, obviously knowing something about that topic I didn't, "I'm going to go ahead and take that as the class you're asking me about, because that is what this school revolves around."

I hesitated for a moment, not liking where this was going, "What do you mean?" _'I hate sports just as much as math!' _

"Remember when I was talking about the Hybrid License?" She cunningly smiled, and I nodded apprehensively, "Well, when you finally earn your license, you'll be open to more jobs, like I said before, and one of those jobs includes the Hybrid military."

'_Oh yeah. . .'_ I remember now thinking about it for a quick moment, wanting to ask her, but the conversation at the time was going too smoothly to disturb the flow. Now was the perfect chance to get my answer, "What exactly is the Hybrid Military?"

Tsunade sighed in remembrance, "The Hybrid Military is one place where both Humans and Hybrids can join forces and work together to defeat the common enemy. 'Hybrid Military' is such a broad word, because that topic can be split down into smaller segments such as: Police, S.W.A.T, Navy Seals, and any other force of justice that requires physical skills."

I slowly nodded my head, but still needed a connection, "So what does that have to do with Athletics?"

"See," She began, using her hands as gestures once again, "We call it Athletics, but it's more along the lines of Combat Training for Hybrids. Every Hybrid has to take four years of Hybrid Athletics, but don't worry, we've worked everything out for you." She reassured me, "Anyways," She continued, taking a breathe, "Tomorrow, or tonight if you want to, you will find that we have a gym, plus five 'Stadiums' around it, each containing five different environments." _'Oh yeah, so that's what the boy meant by 'Stadiums'.'_

"Different environments?" I tried to imagine it, but couldn't.

"Yes," She spoke confidently, "These five different environments give Hybrids the proper training for getting used to their 'new body', and allows them to connect and combine their logical Human mind with their restless "animalistic" judgment." She then focused her attention on something distant, and fell away from this world. "North Academy focuses a lot on Combat Training, but West Academy is sincerely dedicated to the violent art." She smiled mischievously, with fire in her eyes, and then sighed. "Sometimes I wish to be young again, just so I can battle at that intense level once more!"

The woman next to me, my Mother, was beginning to feel more and more unreal as she crossed and uncrossed her legs nervously. This time, she was the one biting her fingernails.

I hesitated before asking, not wanting to disrupt her memories, ". . .were you good?"

Tsunade, my new Hybrid principal, smirked wildly at me. "She's one of the Legendary Hybrids," Shizune walked in, slightly bragging as she dangled a key in her hand.

"Legendary Hybrid?" I asked curiously, once again feeling silly for not knowing the term. Shizune walked towards me and dropped the key in my hands as I lifted them up towards her.

"Yes," Tsunade answered apathetically, "Just one of the _three_ Legendary Hybrids. . ."

"Oh. . ." I watched her for a moment before asking, "May I ask where the other two are?"

Shizune was the one to answer, and replied in a whisper, "It's best not to bring it up."

I nodded my head, understanding that maybe these other two "Legendary Hybrids" meant something to her in some way. The room fell into a silent spell, obeying only Tsunade when she finally spoke, "Mrs. Haruno, I believe it's about time you say goodbye to your daughter. . .you won't be seeing her for another seven months." She didn't seem to care that she struck a chord in my Mother's heart, and displayed that by pushing away the subject, and standing up swiftly, gesturing for us to follow her.

All four of us stayed reticent as we walked out of Tsunade's office and followed her down the hall. When we entered the main room, I couldn't help be feel a prickling blanket of awkward shadows being caste behind me. It was like the adults in the office were following me with their actual bodies, and not just their eyes, which I knew they were doing anyway. And even though my thoughts were buzzing like stressed wasps, it still wasn't enough to block the deafening silence that suffocated the small room.

Suddenly, Mother and I were startled when everyone in the room jumped up at the same time, and began leaving the office. We looked from left to right, not sure what exactly provoked them to suddenly move into action.

"Our signal for changing classes is a bit different than other schools." Tsunade answered, without looking back at us.

"Signal for changing classes. . ?" I thought on it for a few seconds, "You mean like a bell?" I asked.

"Yeah, but it's not really a 'bell', it's more of a high-pitched whistle only animals, and of course Hybrids, can hear."

I scrunched my eyebrows while subtly pouting, "Then why can't I hear it?"

Tsunade laughed within her throat, not opening her mouth until she replied, "Because you're not quite fully developed yet, Sakura. Just be patient."

I raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, somehow sure that she could see the gesture. She ignored it and led us out of the office, and back out towards the massive door. Being the analytical person I am, I can never really stop thinking, and because of that, I've realized that everything in the world has a type of 'personality' to it. Such as this door: it stood proudly, awaiting kind visitors so that it may show the way to another life, but then it stood protectively, ready to defend the 'innocent' souls behind it.

As we continued walking towards this door, I noticed that the petite pink pig named Tonton resting in Shizune's arms, quickly made a whispering 'buhi' sound, as if he were saying something private to her. She very carefully turned her eyes to the side and slightly turned her head to look back at us, and then retreated. The movement was so quick I don't think Mother even caught it.

Finally we were standing before the entrance, and exit, to North Academy for Hybrids. Tsunade turned around to face us, both Mother and I, but put her attention on my Mom, "Mrs. Haruno, I hope that you're not having any doubts about the safety of our school, or the safety of your daughter, Sakura."

I subtly jolted up and looked over at Mother. I honestly never felt her being doubtful, but now that Tsunade mentioned it, I suppose I could see it in her eyes.

She widened her eyes, caught off guard by the sudden statement, "Oh, no! No Tsunade, I'm not having any doubts. . ." She looked down, and then at me, "It's just that. . ." A small oval of salt and water pushed itself out of the corner of her eye, "Ever since her father died. . ." _'Which was eight years ago. . .'_ I thought sadly, pitying her for holding on to his memories for so the tiny bulb of water was sliding down her pink cheek, "Sakura and I have gotten so much closer, and I don't know what I'm going to do without her." She smiled at me, and I smiled back.

"Let's step to the side, and let them say their goodbyes." I heard Tsunade silently whisper to Shizune. She nodded her head, and both of them walked a few feet away from us. I could see that they weren't watching our conversation, but I knew they were still listening.

"Mom," I started off, reaching my hand up to wipe away the lone tear with my thumb, "You don't have to worry about anything, I'm going to be alright." I smiled, and even my vision was beginning to get a little blurry, "And so are you!"

She opened up her arms, and I gladly went into them, embracing my Mother for what is probably going to be the very last time. "Just. . ." She sniffled next to my ear, "Just promise me you will stay out of trouble, and remember where you came from, okay?"

She leaned back and put her hands on my shoulders, looking me square in the eye, I was momentarily confused, but still said, "Yes, Mom. . .I promise."

Mother smiled even wider and gave me one last hug while whispering, "You're Sakura, and no one else. Be proud of your individuality, and don't let anyone get you down." She pulled back once again and said, "Keep your head up high." She kissed my forehead, but I didn't feel her kissing it. Instead, I was stunned to feel my Father's prickly chin against my forehead. After all this time, _'Eight years. . .'_, both of us are still pathetically holding on to bits and pieces of him. Even the words she recited, and the action she performed afterward, closely resembled him in many ways.

His optimism, pride, courage, and kindness were the bits and pieces that we most certainly deserved to hold on to. Forcing yourself to remember someone is painful, but forcing yourself to forget them is selfish. And although the loss of one love can rip a hole in your chest, that just leaves more room for other things to step in. _'His optimism certainly is my remedy. . .'_

For a few seconds, both of us were trapped in our own worlds. Then, pulling us from our daydreams, the door groaned and opened, signaling it was time to depart. The sun from the outside world was cheery and naïve as to what was going on inside North Academy's walls.

She turned her head to the side and squinted her eyes as she gazed at the environment beyond the door. Eventually she turned back to me and said, "Goodbye Sakura, I love you." Her eyes and lips reflected every word, and I knew this departure was ripping another hole in her fragile heart.

I stayed glued in my place and said, "Bye Mom, I love you too. . ." Mother situated her purse on her shoulder, and smiled at me once last time before turning around and walking out the door.

It once again creaked to a final closure, and said, _'I'm sorry.'_ Of course the door couldn't actually speak, but that's what I had imagined it to say, if could gently whisper those two minute, yet overwhelmingly comfortable words. I sniffed back anything left in my nose, and reached my hands up to wipe away everything that overflowed from my eyes.

As strange as it sounds, I sort of wanted to forget where I came from. I no longer wanted to cry from being so pitiful and weak, because it was becoming a hindrance in my life. I would never force myself to forget the ones that I have loved, but I could always force myself to forget the difficult situations I have been through. Perhaps here I could learn to get stronger, and more confident, and really actually find who I'm meant to be.

Maybe being a Hybrid is what I was missing all along? Being at a Human high school, I thought I'd painted a perfect portrait of my life, and yet. . .the entire time I was preparing a blank canvas. This is where the paint was, and I was ecstatic to begin drawing.

I giggled at my own analogy, and turned back around to face Tsunade and Shizune. They smiled at me, and walked forward, each containing both sympathy and kindness in their eyes. Tsunade was the first one to break the silence, "Welcome to you new school, and your new home. . .fellow Hybrid." She winked at me, and Shizune and I laughed along with each other, for no real reason but to laugh.

And no longer did it feel strange to think that, that actually sounded good.

* * *

**Gah guys, I'm really sorry it took me so long to put this chapter up,  
and I apologize if some of you are getting impatient, but I sort of have this fetish with subtly building up my stories.  
I'm not the type of person to quickly get into it, because first, I enjoy building mystery and foreshadows.  
I hope you guys don't mind too much, and if you do, well then. . . oh well. Lol.  
So are you ready to hear my excuses?  
-cough-cough- For my first week of Christmas break, I was in Louisiana visiting relatives, and for my second week, I was at home doing research.  
And no, my research does not include looking at females (-cough-Jiraiya-cough-) in public places, beacuse I am a female, and I don't roll that way.  
The type of research I was doing, was for NAH, because I actually drew a map of the intire school, and I have countless note cards taped to my wall that have different notes about the classes, characters, and other crazy things. It took a really long time to figure out what type of classes they are going to have, what all of their schedules are going to be like, where I was going to put the other characters, and what types of animals all of the characters are going to be. I even went to this Symbolism website called, 'Symbolism of Animals', and you can Google that and check out what some of those animals mean on the wolf statue.  
Anywho, I hope you guys had an awesome Holiday break, and New Years, and I hope that everyone enjoyed this third chapter.  
C'ya. **


	4. Toss Fear, Stay Paranoid

A man's shaky hands tightened into vein-popping fists, "Damnit!" He cursed aloud, colliding one of his fists with a concrete wall. He remained in that position for a few minutes, breathing in and out so his aging heart could settle. A small crater now accompanied the wall, and wisps of dust circled around his head.

On the other side of the room, an obscure shadow enveloped the body hiding behind it's dark curtain, "You shouldn't over do it, old man." He smirked as he teased the enraged man.

His anger didn't flare up at the other man's words, instead, he glared at him, knowing well he probably couldn't win if they were to get into a fight. He pulled his injured fist out of the wall, ignoring the agonizing pain that rippled through his hand as he cracked a few of his bones and fingers back into place. Bits of rubble fell helplessly to the ground, covering the man's shoes, but he ignored it.

Slowly he turned around, redirecting his anger to a new victim, "I knew I shouldn't have sent the fucking polar bear." A young male, around the age of fifteen, stood trembling before the enraged man in both fear and the feeling of hopelessness that was caused by a failed mission.

The man in the shadows looked on, eager to tell the furious man he was right, and that he should've listened to him. _'All of this is a waste of time.'_

The older man kept his attention on the quivering boy before him, "I take you in. . . raise you. . ." He began walking forward as he continued, ". . .practically treat you like one of my own-" The young man continued to shake, "-and this is how you repay me?"

"I didn't know _he_ was going to be there!" The boy cried out.

"I didn't know he was going to be there!" The man mocked him in a childish tone, and then raised his hand stealthy to swiftly slap him across his cheek. "Bullshit. . . I gave you plenty of warnings."

The young man kept his head low in the position he was in when he was slapped, full of that creeping emotion known as shame. The older man turned around and walked forward, putting his hand on his chin as he stood in the dark, deep in thought, "Perhaps I should get a Piaculum. . ."

"You know they won't listen to you." The man in the shadows commented, _'I know I don't.'_

The young man in the middle of the room began to sob quietly, his long hair dangling in front of his delicate face, sticking to drops of sweat and blood. He was weak, and desperately needed to clean his infected wounds properly. They were scattered spots of torn skin across his body, but were mainly grouped together in four long lines. It had been a week since the incident, and he could cope with the pain in his Hybrid form, but as a Human it was unbearable.

Although he wasn't worried about his body too much, it was the fact that he disappointed his Lord. He actually enjoyed living here, even though beatings were reoccurring events. . .but it was a small price to pay for the immense training and wisdom he gained from his Lord. At least here he was accepted and admired, while back home he was feared and hated for having the Hybrid _gift_.

Yes, he looked up to his Lord, and despite everything that's gone on while he was with him, he did owe him more than a failed mission, "I've failed. . ." He whispered quietly under his breath as he was covered by sheets of disappointment.

The older man heard it regardless, because of his keen animalistic senses, "Damn right you have." He replied, and raised one of his hands in the air. Right on que, pairs of red eyes emerged in various spots of the room, leisurely creeping closer. Their profound growls reverberated off the concrete walls, and impatiently awaited for the moment when their Master would give them the signal.

The boy began to panic, glancing around frantically, "N-No! Please!" His Lord ignored him, and snapped his fingers.

Without hesitation, the large beasts leaped forward, ravenous for a meal. They opened their jaws anxiously, aiming for different parts of the boy's crippled body. Most of them took hold of his limbs, tearing the infected flesh before anyone could take it away from them. Everything in their worlds blacked out while they became intent on filling their aching bellies.

Before the boy could finish his screaming and rest his soul, one of the creatures ripped open his throat. For a minute his eyes widened, and blood gurgling was the only sound he could make. Finally his eyes closed softy, and the boy's pain ended. The famished wolf-like beings began dragging their dinner to another location, not wanting to anger their Master anymore than he already was.

The man lurking in the shadows folded his arms in impatience, and watched as his Lord stood there staring at the crater, lost in thought. The older man turned around and gazed into the massive room's abyss, "Frater?" He called out 'brother' in Latin.

Two black wolves trotted out from the shadows, and stood obediently before him. He stared intently at them, not sure if they'd be any better of a choice than the dainty boy. He finally came to a decision when he took note that their thin, onyx beards were soaked in blood. A wicked smile grew on his lips, "You know what to do."

Immediately the wolves darted off in separate directions, leaving absolutely nothing behind, not even their footprints. Their Master nodded his head in pleasure, and forced his emotions to keep regret away. _'There's no way-'_

"They're going to fail, too." He shot his head up to the voice in the corner, and turned away, his anger once again returning, "You know I'm right. . . you're lucky he spared the boy and allowed him to return." He paused, "He's probably annoyed that you've already sent him a failure, imagine what he's going to do to those two when they fail-"

"Haku was only a boy," The other man replied harshly, "He's only been with us for a few years, so now I know sending him was a mistake." He stopped and looked up into the pitch black atmosphere, "Of course, the ones I just sent won't hold back. . . Haku most likely did."

The man enveloped in the shadows turned around, and walked out of the room, too annoyed to play anymore of his Master's games. His thoughts continued to buzz around in his mind, toying him with very easy strategies he could use to kill the other man. He knew he could at any moment, he just spared him his life because he still knew a few things that he didn't. Although, when the time calls for it, and he has learned all that his Master can provide him with, he will take him out personally.

The only thing that's frustrating about his plans, is that each failed attempt to capture the Diverto Luna, means that the guardian will get angrier, and angrier. Eventually he's probably just going to end up coming over here and killing off the man that keeps sending his failures-

He stopped and stood there for a few moments, rethinking his previous thought. If his Master is killed off, he won't be able to gain more power. . . _'Damn, I should just go over there myself!' _But he knew it wasn't that time yet.

The older man in the other room stood in front of the concrete wall that now seemed even more eerie due to the crater. He stared at it for a while, tracing his fingers along the pieces of stone that jutted out, _'He's right. . . none of the Piaculum will listen to me if those two wolves fail. . . I should just send him instead, at least then it'd be a guaranteed victory.' _But he knew as well, that it wasn't time yet.

* * *

'North Academy for Hybrids'

By: GaaraFox

Chapter IV: _Toss Fear, Stay Paranoid_

* * *

'_Why are they walking so fast?'_ I continued to complain in my thoughts as I hurried to keep up with Tsunade and Shizune. The awkward atmosphere that was once around us was now gone, and it was replaced with a merry, yet somewhat stressful aura. Although the stressful part was most likely coming from me.

I internally growled, having to skip a few steps just to keep up with them. "One thing you'll notice," Tsunade startled me as she began talking, keeping her eyes forward, "Is that North Academy is always in motion. We never slow down-" _'Apparently.' _"-so don't worry," I raised one eyebrow, "Athletics will get you into shape." She turned her head slightly and smiled.

'_. . .did she just call me fat?'_

I sighed, feeling a sudden mix of emotions that was composed of both anger, and the need to cry. Because I was not only reminded by Tsunade that I was out of shape, but also by the burning stitch in my side. _'Which is even worse, because that's proof that I'm fat!'_

Suddenly they stopped, and I almost fell forward on my face from the sudden change in speed. I wanted to put my hands on my knees and let my mouth hand open so I could breath exaggeratedly, just like a dog does when he's tired, but I decided that it would be best not to verbally, or physically, complain.

We weren't so far from the office - if I turned around I could still sort of see it - and we were standing a few feet in front of the imaginary square with four pillars on each corner, and the wolf statue in the middle. "This is the Primary building of North Academy, where we have all of our first year classes." Tsunade explained, and then turned to look at me to see if I got it.

I nodded in response, "So is this where I'm going to be most of the time?"

Shizune turned to me as well, and had a thoughtful look on her face, "Sort of. . ."

I _sort of _knew what she meant, but I decided to ask her anyway, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you'll be here in the mornings for your first three classes, but after lunch you'll go over to the other building." She turned and looked out some where distant. Curious, I followed her gaze and found that she was gazing at the back wall. I observed that it was composed of glass windows that seemed to start their reflective job around the height of your hip, while below that was just the same old stone wall. In the middle though, there were two glass doors that led outside to what appeared to be a courtyard. _'I'm guessing the other classes are some where beyond those doors.' _

Shizune then turned back towards me, and pointed down a small hallway, "Down there, at the very end, we have Algebra I. Then next to it, there's an art class that focuses on Graphic Designing, and next to that is B.C.I.S., which is a freshman computer class."

I nodded my head, "I remember taking that, it really wasn't as fun as I thought it would be!" I lightly laughed, noticing that doing that lifted my nervous composure.

Tsunade then turned towards the other direction, and pointed down another tiny hallway that was across from Shizune's, "At the very end of this hallway are restrooms, and next to that there's an English I class. Finally, there's Latin I-" She glanced at me, as if expecting me to say something.

'_Oh, yeah!' _"My second period class." I smiled triumphantly, hoping to memorize my schedule by the end of the day. She nodded her head, and I hoped that throughout this school year, I could show them that I really do want to be here, and that I'm willing to work hard.

Although, they disrupted my moment of victory by suddenly starting their fast-paced walk once more, catching me off guard by their sudden movements. In order to catch up, I had to do this strange skipping motion. Now that we were getting closer to the back windows, I could now observe the outside world more carefully. The sun appeared to be some where else, which meant that the courtyard the doors led to would be perfectly shaded.

'_The temperature looks just right.' _I sighed, smiled at the idea of walking out into the perfect weather. . .at least until the two adults in front of me came to an abrupt halt which caught me off guard. Again. I hurriedly placed my foot in front of me and raised my arms out so I wouldn't fall, and swiftly regained my composure when they turned around. I smiled sheepishly at them as they raised their eyebrows in suspicion, but then turn that into two smiles.

Shizune let out a small laugh and said, "It's okay Sakura, we're not expecting perfection from you."

Then Tsunade said, "At least not yet," And her smile showed a lot of exhausting history, and a bit of news I felt I'd learn more about later. _'A bit? Probably a lot. . .I don't think learning about this school and Hybrids is ever going to stop!' _I groaned as my head pulsed, and it reminded me of how I always felt in math class.

Shizune, oblivious to my thoughts, pointed down another hallway that was parallel to the previous one, "Down here, are the extracurricular classes, such as Music I, Art I, and Theatre I."

I nodded my head when she looked at me, and then we both turned to face Tsunade. Just like last time, she pointed down a hallway that was across from Shizune's, but parallel to her previous one. "And down here, we have more of the Hybrid introductory classes, such as Intro. To Hybridology, Hybrid History I, and Geography."

Once Tsunade was finished introducing her side, they both seemed to be full of the need to explain important issues. Shizune was the first to begin, "Every _single_ time you come into this building, you _must_ stay in your Human form. None of the students are allowed to be in their Hybrid forms in the Primary building, and this is to assure easy adjustment for the freshmen."

"Oh, that's reasonable." I nodded once more.

Shizune smiled, "Good, I'm glad you understand."

Tsunade sighed and put one hand on her hip, and used the other to pinch the bridge of her nose, "Sakura, I hope that you set a good example for the other students here, because they're really starting to get out of control." _'She must be talking about that blonde-haired guy that was in the office earlier. . .or at least something related to what he had done. Whatever it is he did.' _

Shizune softly shook her head and Tonton made a light 'buhi' sound, "I really don't know what's going on here, it seems like most of the upperclassmen are focused on Athletics rather than their school work. I mean, it's not that that's a bad thing, it's just that if they neglect their work too much, it's going to continue to bring their grades down." I understood where Shizune was coming from, because at San Arcos, most of the football players were too obsessed with the competitive season to focus on their vital student careers.

Although, by the look on Tsunade's disturbed face, I could see that Shizune was only speaking her personal thoughts, and it appeared that Tsunade had a totally different perspective. To me, Tsunade appears to be a pretty intelligent woman who most likely knows exactly what's going on, and the answer to Shizune's confusion is most likely a simple one.

Actually, it was so simple, that even I came up with an answer while Shizune stood in thought, and Tsunade stood in annoyance. It hit me and I felt a bit of pride as I thought back on my years at San Arcos.

I've always hated sports, and not just because the activities are strenuous and often confusing, but because everyone gets so competitive over them. The psycho adrenaline rushes at football events would be so ridiculous, that if we lost a game, everyone in the entire school would become severely depressed.

That's also why I stayed away from football games, and preferred going straight home to read. The whole idea of throwing a little leather ball around, and beating people with your bodies always seemed so primitive to me. _'Ah crap, I hope it's not like that here. . .' _Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed having a social life before the hormones, adrenaline, and need to be dominate came in and took over everyone's lives.

I shrugged my shoulders, coming back down from my thoughts. They both looked over at me, "Since we are literally, part animal, it's probably just the need to be dominate. Like in a pack of wolves, you have the alpha male and female, and in high school, you also have the alphas." _'Something I never want to be, because then you become all snobby.' _"It's just a little more extreme here because we have the animal instcints, and the human instincts, intertwining."

Tsunade threw her arms up in the air, "That's exactly what I said!"

Shizune simply shook her head, "The whole act just seems silly to me."

Tsunade began mumbling under her breath, "It's only silly to you because you're not a Hybrid. . ." My eyes widened and mouth opened slightly. _'Did I hear her right?'_

I looked over at Shizune to ask her, but she was now glaring at Tsunade while Tsunade was facing the other way with her arms folded. _'There goes the ounce of respect they earned from me. . .' _I sighed.

This must be an issue that they've been discussing for a very long time, and it's probably why their silent argument didn't last very long, and was easily broken when I decided to go ahead and ask her, "Shizune, you're not a Hybrid?"

She let out some of the air she had been holding, and shook her head, "Not necessarily. . .I'm just not a _full_ Hybrid." She shrugged.

"Then how come you spoke of attending a Hybrid school?"

"Well," She began, adjusting Tonton against her chest, "What Tsunade means by saying I'm not a Hybrid," She turned and glared at her and then looked back at me, "Is that the form I'm in right now is the only one I'm capable of."

". . .a human being?" I suggested.

She nodded, "Although," She raised one finger, "I still think like a Hybrid-" _'Apparently not if you think dominance is silly.'_ "-and I can speak to animals. Right, Tonton?" He looked up at her, stretching his neck back, and it seemed like he was wearing a smile when he made another 'buhi' sound.

I smiled, adjusting to this new image of her, "Well, that's not so bad."

Shizune returned the smile, and Tsunade pulled herself out of her immature state and said, "And Shizune's not the only one here who can't morph into an animal."

"Really?" I asked, my eyes slowly widening again.

They both nodded, but Tsunade was the one to reply, "Of course, we'll have more time to discuss this another day. Right now, we need to get you to your dorm so you can get settled." Then they turned around and advanced towards the back doors where other students were walking around. I panicked a little, pulling the map out of my pocket and then putting it back after I decided it would be too much of a hassle to look at it right now. "What about the rest of the school?" I tried to get them to stop so I wouldn't have to face other people just yet.

They continued walking, and Shizune was the one who decided to reply while keeping her eyes forward, "Once we get you to your room, your roommate can show you the rest of the school." She titled her head to the side and smiled at me with frowning eyes. "That is, if she's back from class yet, or heading to the Stadiums."

I subtly scrunched my eyebrows together, and my heart began pounding in it's nervous cage. I was pretty sure that the teachers and other students would be expecting a lot from me, since I am a Junior. _'Great, I'm going to have to catch up with the other Juniors.'_

Pulling me from my thoughts, the two adults in front of me opened the front doors, and a marvelous scent entered my nostrils, and crept into my mind. We walked forward, slowly this time, which gave me the opportunity to glance around at the other students. I'm not sure what I was expecting. . . _'Perhaps mutated children with peculiar Hybrid features?' _What I got was the total opposite, because all of them seemed absolutely normal. Although, the only thing that wasn't so normal was their style in clothing.

"Excuse me, Tsunade?" I asked her as I continued to look around at the laughing, smiling, teenage Hybrids.

"Yes?" She asked, and we stopped so they could turn and speak to me.

"Why is their clothing so. . ." I tried to think of the right word, but for some reason I couldn't.

"Weird?" Shizune giggled.

"N-No, I don't think it's weird. Actually, I think it's kind of. . .cool." All of the students appeared to be wearing different types of combat uniform, and it was a little uncomfortable to see them ready for a fight at any moment.

Tsunade chuckled, and then turned around to look at the students who were walking from one place to the other, "The type of clothing they're wearing," She began, and then looked back at me, "Is made out of a special material that you can only purchase at a Hybrid school." I gazed at her quizzically and she laughed once more, "If you wear regular clothing, such as cotton, it'll be ripped to shreds when you go into your Hybrid form!"

Shizune shuttered, "I've seen freshmen refuse to wear their uniforms, and trust me, you don't want to be in the middle of one of the Stadiums stark naked."

"Oh," Tsunade shook her head, "How embarrassing."

I swallowed a lump in my throat, and couldn't help but feel my cheeks warm at the idea of other people staring at me without clothes! I shuttered just as Shizune had done earlier.

"Of course," Shizune started, "That won't happen if you just purchase some new outfits at our miniature shopping center."

'_Shopping?' _My eyes lit up, but then went dull again when I realized a very important component everyone needed before satisfying their sudden need to go shopping, "But. . .I didn't bring any money."

"Don't worry, we have an entirely different way of using currency." Tsunade pointed out, reassuring me.

A few students ran farther away from the Primary building, making their way towards a larger one in the very back. Laughter continued to coat the air with joy, and I couldn't imagine any one of their bright faces forced into a violent fight. I shuttered as different images came to my mind, but quickly went back to the original topic I'd been discussing with Tsunade.

"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow.

"We call it Hybrid Points." Shizune answered, but I still had no idea what they were talking about.

'_Hybrid points. . ?' _My eyebrows scrunched together in the front. Tsunade nodded her head, as if she heard my thoughts, and said, "You can gain points by participating in various activities, making good grades, volunteering to help the staff, and winning battles."

Her eyes gleamed and my heart began pounding again, "Winning. . .battles?" I tried the words out myself, and they seemed scarier when I said them. I recall Tsunade speaking of having to be in Athletics, and taking a type of 'Combat training', but I didn't quite understand what she meant by winning battles.

"Sakura," Tsunade tested out my name, and I looked up at her with a bit of fear, "Are you a hard worker?"

I slowly nodded my head, "Of course. . ." And I was completely unsure as to where this was going, and that's what was really frightening.

She made a 'humph' sound, and closed her eyes, "There's a down side, and a plus side to that."

I stayed in my confused state, "H-How so?"

Tsunade used one of her hands to gesture, "If you work hard in Athletics class, and succeed just like your teacher instructs you to, you're going to fall harder. Meaning that other students will want to challenge you, and every Hybrid knows you can't back down when a challenge is presented."

She then looked over at Shizune, who picked up the flow of the conversation, "It's true that the harder you work, the more you're going to be challenged, but that's okay, you grow stronger from that. Although, if you purposely fall back in Athletics, the other Hybrid students _will_ step all over you. Challenges will no longer occur, and you'll lose points if you fail Athletics." I swallowed slowly, and I could feel my throat move out and back in. _'No wonder the students here are "out of control", they have so much pressure on them!'_ Like a creeping disease, I began to feel that pressure as well.

"It's like you said earlier, Sakura," Tsunade thought back on one of our previous conversations, "Since we're literally part animal, it's probably just the need to be dominate." She shrugged her shoulders, and smirked when Shizune shot a glare at her. "But anyways," I internally jumped from her sudden transition, "Getting back to the subject about clothing. . ." She let it go for a minute, and glanced around, widening her eyes as she caught sight of the person she was looking for, "Ino!"

I looked around, and saw that someone had turned their head swiftly to look over here. The girl Tsunade had called spoke something to the other two girls she was with, and began walking towards us. Her hips swaying with a sort of feline prominence, "Yes, Tsunade-sama?" She smiled, and flipped her long, blonde ponytail behind her.

"This is our new student, Sakura Haruno," Tsunade gestured towards me, and I smiled as friendly as possible, "Sakura, this is Ino Yamanaka, one of our leading ladies in the stadium," She bragged slightly, and for a moment I could feel a bit of jealousy rise in me. The girl named Ino glanced at the side of my head quickly, and returned my smile with not as much friendliness. My muscles tensed under her observant gaze. "I was just explaining to our new student what type of clothing Hybrid's wear, and why it's important for them to wear it."

Ino nodded, understanding now that this was the moment where Tsunade wanted her to take over and explain a few things to me. _'My first conversation with a teenage Hybrid.' _She dug her deep blue eyes into my peculiar green ones and smirked, "See the outfit I'm wearing?" She began, and I hadn't noticed her attire until now, which in my opinion, showed a little too much skin.

The two main pieces accompanying her outfit were the purple top and bottom; her top stopped a little bit below her breasts, and didn't have any sleeves. As for her skirt, it had a long slit up the middle, and fortunately there was a black cloth there in order to keep it a little more decent. On her elbows and knees there were short pieces of fishnet, and high up on her thighs were white bandages. _'What's the point of that?'_

She placed one hand on her hip, and flipped her bangs to the side, "Has Tsunade-sama already explained our way of currency?" I nodded my head and she continued, "The more HP you earn, the more complex and expensive your outfit will become, meaning that it's going to take a while before you find the right outfit that will benefit you during fights." She smirked mischievously at me, "Got that so far?"

"Uhh," I thought about it for a moment, "Does HP stand for Hybrid Points?" She nodded, and then I said, "Okay, yeah. I've got everything so far." I smiled.

Ino scuffed and flipped her hair once more, "Sometimes it's better to save your points so you can get a more expensive outfit, because the cheaper ones don't last very long." She looked at me from head to toe, "Like the one you're wearing, which is given to every Hybrid who enters any of the Academies. It's sort of like a diaper." She chuckled, "The less expensive outfits will begin to wear out after a few uses, and may not be there when you change back into your Human form." She rolled her eyes, "There was a poor girl the other day who lost her clothes when she changed back into her Human form," She shook her head and then eyed me with another deceptive smile, "Hopefully that doesn't happen to you."

"Yeah, I sure hope not." _'Grr. . .'_

"Anyways," She continued, "We Hybrids have a special type of energy called _chakra_, and after a while, you'll find the right type of outfit that can adjust to your chakra." _'Wonder why that type of outfit fits with your chakra. . . Haha, wow! My first lame Hybrid joke. Yay me and my lameness.'_ "Once this occurs, it sort of feels like it's melting into your skin when you transform, but reappears when you change back. We also use chakra during battles, and it's what gives us that extra boost to transform." She looked over at Tsunade, "May I have permission to show her?"

Tsunade considered this and finally nodded her head, "Sure, why not?"

Ino became excited as she placed her hand on the side of her thigh, and swiftly crouched, pulling out a strange looking knife and holding it up in a defensive position, "We call these kunai." She smirked when I'd jumped at her sudden movement, "They're made out of a specific metal that allows chakra to flow into them, so that we may manipulated them in any way we want to." She stood back up and held the kunai out on her palm. Suddenly, as if out of a Sci-Fi movie, the weapon began floating a few inches above her hand.

I stood wonder, and even began envying her abilities, but became excited when I knew I would be doing that soon, "How _are_ you doing that?"

She raised it a little higher, "I'm simply focusing my chakra in my hand, and pushing it up." I gazed at the weapon, as she kept her squinting eyes on me. The kunai then dropped back down into her palm, causing me to jump once again, and just as swiftly as she'd taken it out, she put it back.

Tsunade folded her arms and decided to take over, "Maybe later your roommate will take you to the shop so you can look for a new outfit, and possibly weapons? New students instantly earn a hundred HP." She smiled, and I'm sure all three of them could tell that I liked the sound of that.

Unfortunately, Ino brought me down from my sudden moment of happiness, "Don't get too excited, a hundred HP isn't a lot. Actually, my entire outfit was around 8,000 HP, and that doesn't count all of the weapons I have."

My jaw dropped and I sighed, "But don't worry," Shizune comforted me by putting her hand on my shoulder, "Being the hard worker you say you are, I'm sure you'll get there in no time!" I forced a smile, and couldn't help but suddenly feel exhausted, even though I haven't even started training yet.

Tsunade looked towards Ino, "That's all, Ino, thank you. You're dismissed. "

She smiled and placed her hands behind her back, "You're welcome, Tsunade-sama." Then she turned to me, "Welcome to North Academy, I can't wait to see you in one of my classes, and get to know you a little more!" She eyed me again with an uncomfortably fake smile, and turned around and walked back towards the other two girls she was talking to earlier.

'_Oh yeah, that reminds me!' _"Are classes over today?"

Tsunade looked up at the sky for a moment, and then looked back down at me and said, "Right now it's 4:30 P.M., so classes have been out for ten minutes already."

'_How did she do that. . ?' _"It's 4:30?" I exclaimed, surprised that the drive here had been fairly long, and that we'd been talking for quite a while. Suddenly I began to panic a little, "Does that mean I'll be counted absent on my first day?"

Tsunade laughed, "Oh no, we were expecting this anyway! You can just start your classes tomorrow." She smiled, and I opened my mouth to say something but she waved it off, "Don't worry, I'll make sure your roommate explains everything to you." I sighed, and gave up trying to speak.

Suddenly, Tonton began making strange squeaking noises and looked up at Shizune frantically. She looked over at Tsunade, who nodded.

During their silent conversation, I noticed Ino and her girl friends glance over at me. Through the corner of my eye, I watched them as they made comments I couldn't hear, and then laughed. During these moments, they'd take quick glances in my direction, making me a little more paranoid than I already was.

"It was nice meeting you Sakura." I turned and Shizune was smiling at me.

Slightly confused, I replied, "It was nice meeting you too, Shizune. . ."

The short haired woman glanced at Tsunade one more time before turning towards the doors into the Primary building, and running off. I stood there, caught in my new world of perplexing routines and curious behaviors from everyone. I had a peculiar feeling that staying here, and even surviving, wasn't going to be as easy as it was at San Arcos.

Tsunade turned towards me and tore me out of my thoughts with another one of her warm smiles, but I knew it was just to cover up whatever Shizune had told her through their silent conversation, "Shall we go to your room now?"

"Sure." I grinned, and even found myself excited to see my new 'home' for the rest of this school year.

She looked around for a moment, and then turned left, walking parallel to the Primary building. We contently made our way down a concrete path that was embroidered in small trees and bushes. The sun was on the other side, so we were enveloped in bright shadows. Gently the wind caressed our clothing and tickled my face with my mid-length hair, and even dragged bits of laughter as younger students ran from the building we were going towards, back towards the courtyard we had just come from.

I smiled at the simplicity of everything I'd seen so far, how you could feel as if you stepped into the Elizabethan era from the outside, to more of the Middle Ages on the inside, and then step out here unto this graceful landscape and become overwhelmed with a futuristic sensation. Here, so far out in the middle of the forest, it feels like this school and all who inhabit it are the only ones that exist on this planet.

Finally I was dragged from my thoughts and brought back, when I found that we were now on a dirt path with nothing surrounding us but a luscious green lawn. I glanced back, and could see the Primary building, the courtyard, and other buildings I haven't been introduced to yet. I turned my head in front of our path, and noticed two more stone buildings, but these had more windows, and with that I assumed they were the dorms.

Tsunade stopped and held her arms out in front of her in a presentation manner, "Here are the dorms," She began, "Over there on the left-" She pointed, "-are the male dorms, and over here on the right-" She turned and pointed, "-are the female dorms."

The two buildings were larger than the primary building, and seemed to rise higher, as if there were more than four floors for each. In between the two, was a small building that was obviously one story tall, and connected the two buildings together.

"What about the one connecting them?" I asked curiously.

"That," She pointed once again, "Is the student café. It's where you can get small breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert items." She informed me expertly, having memorized every inch of the Academy's school grounds, "Although-" She pointed behind her with her thumb, "-we have a cafeteria for the real meals, this building connecting the dorms is more of a lounge for socializing. It even contains a game room for Sundays where we simply relax."

The wind blew her long blonde bangs, as well as my pink ones, and she sighed. Then she began walking towards the right, leading me to the front doors where she walked in first, and I followed behind her. I glanced around upon entering, and found that the front room had a style and feel to it like a pricey hotel. Not like the cheap ones that had cracks and roaches, but not like the ones with waterfalls and appeared to be society's exact depiction of heaven. No, this was some where in the middle, where it was casual enough to be home, but clean enough to know it's not. _'Haha.'_

While I was distracted and observing everything, Tsunade was already walking towards two doors that slid open to reveal an elevator. I jogged to the doors just as they opened, and stepped inside with Tsunade. We both looked at the control panel with the many buttons it presented before she asked, "What does your dorm room key say?"

I was puzzled, but still took the key out of my pocket and read it curiously, "D9?" Then I put it back.

She pushed one of the elevator buttons that had a letter D on them, and slowly the doors closed. As the elevator jumped and settled itself into a smooth ride, she took the silent opportunity to settle my thoughts, "The levels of the dorms go by A, B, C, and D. Level D is obviously the fourth floor, and the number '9' next to it is your room number." I nodded my head, and we stood in a comfortable silence as we listened to the wires and wheels turn, lifting us higher. I imagined the emptiness below us, and how there was only a few inches protecting me from that dark abyss. I froze, and momentarily felt my fear of heights kick in, but that fluttered away whenever the elevator chimed and settled, and the doors in front of us opened.

Then, I jumped as another pair of doors opened behind us. Tsunade laughed and simply said, "The elevator is in the middle of the building, and the original creators found that it would be easier, and faster, for students to get their rooms this way.

I softly shook my head, and gazed at the hallway presented to us through the original front doors. We stepped out into it, and I noticed it was decorated just the same as level A. The walls were covered in the same cheap wallpaper, and the carpet was a simple color, but that - once again - gave it an 'at-home' feeling that was warm and inviting.

We walked forward, and I glanced at the other dorm room doors, reading each number until we finally found number '9'. I pulled the key out once again, and fingered it for a moment before bringing it to the door knob, and unlocking the door. It creaked open slightly, and hesitantly I pushed it open. Slowly I stepped inside, and Tsunade followed closely behind me, smiling at my nervous behavior.

I found that there were two beds, one with a white and brown comforter, and another with my blue one from home. I smiled, and was momentarily dragged back into my thoughts as I remember that particular Friday in which I came home from school exhausted, and plopped myself onto those very sheets. The blanket that was folded on the edge of my bed was even there too, and for a moment I recalled my supposed 'dream' where I woke up and found it wrapped around me.

I sighed, already missing my Mother. . . "Are you Sakura?" A young, sweet voice called to me from the other side of the room where the brown and white bed was. I looked towards the voice, and found a girl around my age smiling at me. This time I was actually comforted by the smile, instead of the one that the other girl, Ino, gave me.

The girl before me had brunette hair, but it was being held hostage in two cute buns on top of her head. Her attire was a bit peculiar too, but at least it wasn't revealing. It was too baggy for my taste, and presented her as a modest girl who held a friendly composure.

"Yes, I'm Sakura Haruno," I smiled back at her, "What's your name?"

"Tenten," She responded, and smiled behind me at Tsunade before asking, "So you're my new roommate?" She giggled, "I hope you last longer than that freshman from last year."

Suddenly my brain stopped working, and it took me a little while to fully comprehend what she had just said, "What do you mean-?"

"You girls can talk about that later," Tsunade interrupted, "But right now I have to leave, so I want to speak with you, Sakura, for a few minutes before I go."

Oblivious, I responded, "Okay. . ." And followed her back out into the hallway, leaving my new roommate in her room.

When were out in the hallway, Tsunade turned and looked at me seriously, a bit of anger bubbling up on her features. _'Could I be in trouble already?' _Tsunade sighed and said, "It may take a little while for you to adjust to the mindset of a Hybrid, but once you do, you may be forced to choose a side."

She gazed at me dangerously, and I swallowed, "What do you mean?" I whispered, and this major change in the atmosphere caught me off guard.

Tsunade dropped her shoulders, and comfortably adjusted herself against the wall, "Do you remember that man from the hospital you were in? The doctor?" She questioned.

I pushed my eyebrows down slightly, "Yes. . ."

She looked to the left, where there was a window presenting the outside world, "As you may know by now, not a lot of Human beings like Hybrids, and most don't even know we exist." I stayed quiet, wanting to know where she was going with this, "But the _jealous _Humans who do know of our existence, want the powers that we have, and there is a way for them to obtain it." My breath caught in my throat as I took in her words, "That doctor is one of those Human beings, and although he wants Hybrid powers, he despises us. I'm afraid. . ."

She stopped her words, and very quietly I said, "Afraid of what. . ?"

Tsunade turned her gaze back towards me, her eyebrows pointed down in anger, "I'm afraid that he may have influenced your Mother in some way."

I squinted my eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It simply means that you need to be careful, and cautious about who you speak to. Being a Hybrid in a Human world isn't easy, because we're constantly ridiculed for not having any control over who we are. All I'm saying, is that I want you to trust very little, and stick to what you feel is right."

I dropped my gaze down the floor, and everything made a little more sense now that I had more information. _'That must be why the doctor, as well as Mother, were acting so strangely. . . But to hate me?' _I shook my head and Tsunade looked up at me through her dark lashes. I smiled a confident smile and said, "She doesn't care about what I've become, because she knows I'm still Sakura, her daughter." Tsunade smiled, and lifted her head, relaxing her features, "She would never hate me." And the words felt so real that they coursed through my vines and gave me a boost of adrenaline that I hoped would never die.

The older woman in front of me closed her eyes in contentment, and didn't reply to my moment of assurance. Suddenly the elevator chimed once again, and the doors opened to reveal Shizune. We both watched her as she jogged up to me and handed me my messenger bag. _'Oh, I forgot I left that in the car.'_ I took the bag, fumbling with it for a few seconds, and then looked up at Shizune and said, "Thank you."

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "No problem." And I smiled at her casualness.

"Well," Tsunade lifted herself off of the wall, "It's about time we get back to work." She walked past me and peeked her head in my new room and called out to Tenten, "I'm leaving her in your hands now, Tenten!"

I heard light footsteps as she turned and called back, "Yes, Tsunade-sama!"

Tsunade smiled and walked back towards Shizune, "I hope you enjoy your new school, and good luck in class tomorrow." Then she winked at me, and walked with Shizune back towards the elevator. Shizune waved when they were inside, and I returned the gesture, barely seeing their forming grins as the doors closed.

I sighed and turned back towards my new dorm room, and then walked inside and closed the door. I dragged my feet towards my bed, and set on the edge of it, letting my posture fall into a comfortable state, and allowing my hair to drip over my shoulders. I glanced to the side, and found a small book shelf - with all of my books from home - against the wall, as well as my small, stuffed bunny that sat on the top. I stood up, and walked towards him as he looked up at me with gleaming black eyes. I picked him up and walked back towards the head of my bed, setting him in my lap as I crossed my legs and sat back on my hands, looking up at the ceiling.

"So, where are you from?" I turned my head towards the brown-haired girl as she situated herself on her bed, holding a fuzzy pillow against her chest.

My eyes drooped down to the small rabbit in my lap, and I picked up one of my hands and began twirling one of his ears, "San Arcos," I replied, "It's just a few hours away from here." Then I looked back over at her, "And you?"

She sighed and adjusted herself, "I'm actually a few days away from here," I stared at her curiously, and she shrugged, "It's a small island, where we have aquatic Hybrids, and strangely I became a four-legged mammal!" She laughed as if it was an inside joke between her and her family at her old home, and that must've been why I didn't find it too funny.

"So then what type of animal are you?"

My question seemed to catch her off guard, because a light blush began to creep up on her cheeks, "I'm sorry Sakura, but you shouldn't ask a Hybrid that."

I raised one eyebrow curiously, _'That's stupid.' _"Why not?"

"Because," She began, about to bring up an oh-so-obvious statement, "Asking a Hybrid what type of animal they are, is the equivalent to asking a Human the color of their underwear!"

This time I actually laughed, and she joined me for a few minutes, "Are you serious?"

Tenten then became a little more serious, "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"I don't know," I shrugged my shoulders and looked down at my rabbit, "I guess I'm just not used to being a Hybrid yet." Then I looked up at her, "So why exactly is it _that _intimate?"

"It takes a few years, but after a while, you become so attached to that other spirit inside you that instead of feeling like you have Multiple Personality Disorder-" _'That sounds familiar. . . I think I remember feeling like that earlier.' _"-it feels like your one whole being again. It's like that Hybrid part of you takes over in your Hybrid form, but allows your Human side to take over in your Human form. It's kind of like tucking your Hybrid personality away and keeping it to yourself, which equals to keeping the color and design of your bra a seductive secret!" She laughed, and I joined her.

"I guess it will be a little while before I understand that feeling. . ." I once again began fiddling with my small rabbit's ear before feeling the need to change the subject, "So you're a Junior too, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" She smiled, her enthusiasm never leaving her as her dark chocolate eyes lit up, "This is my third year here, and so far it's been amazing!"

"Amazing, huh?" I whispered softly, but she heard it anyway.

"You don't believe me?" She mumbled, and I sighed.

"It's not that I don't believe you-" _'Because I don't.' _"It's just that it still feels like it's going to be really difficult to get used to living here, ya'know?"

I glanced over at her and she nodded her head, "I understand. . .that's exactly how I felt when I came here my freshman year." I nodded, and she continued, "But don't worry, there are a lot of nice Hybrids here, and I'll be sure to help you in any way I can!"

A small smile crept up on my lips as I replied, "Thank you, Tenten." Then I felt my eyes tighten, and my sight become blurry as I gazed down at the rabbit in between my legs. I lifted myself up, and this time had both of my hands in my lap so that my shoulders could hunch over, and my hair could cover my face. Softer than I thought possible, I whispered, "You remind me of my best friend, Amanda, back at home." Tenten didn't respond, and I'm sure by the sound of my voice she could sense that I was ready to cry, "I was supposed to call her for help with my Algebra II homework, but I ended up falling asleep and forgot. Then. . ."

I stopped and looked up at her, one salty trail on the edge of my nose, "It's okay to cry, I don't mind." She reassured me.

I smiled and nodded my head, contemplating over whether or not I should continue and tell her about the incident at the mall. After a few minutes, I thought it'd be better not to, "Then. . ." I continued from where I left off, "I woke up and I was in a hospital bed, suddenly a Hybrid. . .they said I'd been out for a week!" I laughed through small sobs.

She gazed at me with a small smile packed with sympathy and said, "I found out I was a Hybrid when I punched my annoying older brother in the face, and he flew across the room and through a wall!" She laughed, hoping that would help my mood.

Surprisingly, it did, and I was distracted by my thoughts as I tried to picture an angry Tenten punching an older boy in the face, and then flying through a wall. I began laughing with her once again, and could already feel a close friendship forming between us.

Subtly the happiness ceased, and I lifted my hands and gazed at them. I was tempted to tell her about how I went on a rampage in my Hybrid form, and couldn't remember anything. . .not even the part where I killed a girl with brown hair, just like hers. I sighed, and realized that it would make things awkward and hard to explain if I tried explaining such a thing to her.

Still, I kept my eyes on my hands and mumbled, "I haven't used my powers yet. . ." It was both a lie and the honest truth; I giggled as my heart beat picked up, "I'm actually really nervous about that class, Athletics."

Tenten kept her soft grip on her pillow, "It's not so bad. . .it gets easier as you progress." I looked up at her and she gave me another reassuring smile, "Anko and Gai will put you on a light fitness plan that'll get you into Hybrid shape!" _'Okay, that's the second time today I've been called fat!' _She looked at me curiously, and mistook my anger for nervousness, "Don't worry, Anko and Gai are really nice and understand your Human limits, but they also expect you to work hard." She winked at me as a small vein on the side of my head popped up, but upon seeing her innocent smile, I sighed and let it go.

"So. . ." I looked around the room, "What do Hybrid students do after school?" I raised my eyebrows.

She gasped and swiftly looked over at the clock next to her bed, which was on top of her dresser. The clock read 4:55 P.M.; I raised one eyebrow as she suddenly jumped off of her bed and began packing items in a small backpack. While she was grabbing items from different places on her side of the room, she decided to respond to my question, "After school, we have small matches that start at 4:50. It's not mandatory to go, but you do get five HP for attending." She spun around and threw her hands up, "Okay, so maybe it's not a lot, but 5 HP adds up if you go everyday!"

"Oh," I lightly gasped, and panic crept up on my shoulders while I glanced around my side of the room, "What should I bring?"

Tenten laughed while replying, "You don't have to bring anything, because no one's allowed to challenge you until you've been here for at least three months." I sighed in absolute relief.

My bubbly roommate walked into a room that looked like a bathroom, in which I hadn't noticed 'til just now. I leaned forward slightly, and just by looking at her shadow, I could see that she was brushing her teeth and fixing her hair. Feeling a sudden need to groom myself as well, I unfolded my legs and jumped off of my new bed. Then, I walked towards the small dresser that was identical to Tenten's, and picked up my familiar hairbrush that was placed next to my alarm clock.

I liked the fact that everything on my side of the room was casual and already placed in convenient locations. It seemed like I was back in my old room, except this one was combined with Tenten's. I lifted the hair brush up to my pink hair, and sat back down on the side of my bed to brush the long strands in thought, _'So I have three months to get stronger?' _I calculated that in my mind for a few minutes, _'I think that's the third week of January? If not, it's some where around there. . . I guess that means that I'm safe for the rest of this year!' _My heart began pounding once again, and for some strange reason, three months seemed a lot closer than they would've been at San Arcos.

"Alright," Tenten stepped out of the bathroom, "You ready?"

"Yup," I stood up and threw the hairbrush on my bed. Then I turned and watch Tenten fidget and fumble with her shirt, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" She lifted her head up, "Yeah I'm fine. . .it's just that it's been three months for the freshmen, and I might have some new competition awaiting me tonight!"

She smiled nervously and I said, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine."

Tenten let some air out of her chest and said, "I hope so."

~ - ~ - ~

**Tenten & Sakura: _Let's Review_**!

**Sakura: -smiling and gesturing- **Hybrids are Humans who have the ability to turn into an animal, and this normally occurs during puberty. Although, there are many other teens who go through the Transformation later on in life, and usually don't survive. Luckily for me, I did!

**Tenten: -holding up a ruler and pointing at a chalkboard- **Hybrids have a special type of power called _chakra_ in which they can manipulate and even combine with weapons in their Human form. This is especially useful on the battlefield when a Hybrid wants to sneak in and ambush an enemy through their Human form.

**Sakura: **Yup, and during a Hybrid's life, an excessive amount of chakra may leak out through their pores, forcing a type of Hybrid feature to occur. **-Points at right side of head- **Mine is especially unusual because there's only been one other Hybrid to have this feature, and that's probably why everyone keeps staring at me! **-sweat drops- **

**Tenten: -scratching the back of her head- **Anyways. . .hybrid features are a good way to show animals, as well as other Hybrids, that they have a large amount of chakra, and have the capability of not only speaking to animals, but also the ability to become very powerful. Right, Sakura?

**Sakura: -sulking in the corner-**

**Tenten: -nervously laughing- **Also, we know that there are three other schools just like North Academy, but we only know about West Academy, which focuses mainly on combat! Each school even has their own Suite of Arms containing symbols that represent the purpose and history of that school!

**Sakura: -recovering-** Plus, Hybrids have special outfits and weapons that combine with their chakra, adding to their power. A Hybrid's strength is already powerful, and can even punch another Hybrid through a wall!

**Tenten: -glaring at Sakura-**

**Sakura: -coughing nervously-** Once you graduate from an Academy, you earn your Hybrid License. This way, a Hybrid can then get a job, or join the Hybrid Military, all the while simply walking amongst Humans! Tsunade even told me that, to Hybrid teens, their Hybrid License is more important than their driver's license, or diploma!

**Tenten: -nodding enthusiastically- **Mhm, that's fur sure!

**Sakura: -eyeing an oblivious Tenten- **Fur sure?

**Tenten: **Yeah. . . What about it?

**Sakura: -pouting- **It's stupid.

**Tenten: -offended- **You're stupid!

**Sakura: -gasps- **You're a jerk!

**Tenten: -smiling mischievously- **Well you're a big _fat_ jerk.

**GaaraFox: -scratching head nervously- **Okay guys, that's enough.

**Tenten: **Tell that to the fatty.

**Sakura: -sulking in the corner-**

**GaaraFox: -sighs in defeat- **Anyways, this whole review thing sounded like a fun idea, so I decided to go ahead and do it. It's kind of like those moments in Shippuuden when Sakura and Naruto are like, "Now it's time for us to answer questions!" Also, I'm going to put all of the characters in their Shippuuden outfits. Anywho, if you have any questions just ask, and if you want me to go back and fix anything, just ask! Also, I have a list of animals you may see in the future, but go ahead and give me suggestions as to what characters you'd like to see, and what type of animal you want them to be. Or just simply write down a list of animals. Finally, please-

**Sakura & Tenten: _R&R_**~!


	5. Deceiving Looks

* * *

'North Academy for Hybrids'

By: GaaraFox

Chapter V: _Deceiving Looks _

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Before I could catch sight of the bolt of lightening that shot from the elevator, it was gone. I hunched over my shoulders and groaned, dragging my feet out of the front doors of the girl's dorm. My slow pace continued like that until I made it outside, seeing only a cloud of dust arise from the dirt path.

I lifted one eyebrow as a few rocks rumbled on the ground, and a blur of brown shot towards me like a berserk bullet. My eyes adjusted to the sudden proximity of my new roommate, and new friend, "Why are we in such a hurry? I thought you said it doesn't matter if we go or not?"

Tenten turned and began walking at my Human pace, and I followed her, "Because-" She turned and looked at me, "I already told you!"

I smiled innocently, "I forgot."

She huffed and began gesturing as we continued our walk, "The school allows all new students exactly _three_ months to train before challenges begin-"

"So school starts in August?" I suggested, feeling a bit proud that I'd figured those simple calculations out in my head, _'I do believe I'm getting better at this.'_

"Yeah, but that's not that point." She pouted, "Do you want me to explain this, or not?"

I waved my hands, "Yeah, go ahead."

"Okay," She began, "After three months, the new students can then challenge any upperclassmen they want to, but all challenges have to be in the same categories as the other Hybrid."

'_Categories?' _I thought curiously, "So what does that mean?"

"Like-" She thought about it for a moment, "-if you're a type of big cat, you can't challenge a bear. But if you're a big cat, then you can challenge another species of big cat. See?"

"Ah. . ." I nodded, "That seems fair enough. . . But what if you don't challenge at all?"

"Well, like I said when we were back in the room-" She pointed behind us, and I forced myself not to look unconsciously, "-we're not forced to go to this, we can just go if we want to. Although," She held up a finger when I was about to protest with more questions, "Your grade will drop significantly!"

"Okay, see, now _that _makes sense!" I pointed out, and thought about it for a moment. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation set in, and I realized that three months from now, I was going to be forced into that position. I sighed, "Doesn't that make the other students freak out and get all stressful?" _'Like me!'_

I looked up at her, and she held a bit of nervousness herself, "Yeah," Tenten let out an uneasy laugh, "Homework, plus training. . ." She shrugged her shoulders, "My social life is at the bottom of the sea floor!"

I laughed, and she glared at me, "No, I'm not laughing at _you_," She gave me a puzzled look, "I'm just laughing because that sounds _exactly _like me!" I sighed and kicked a small rock as we arrived at the courtyard, "At my old school, I only had _one _best friend," I held up my index finger to give my depression a more dramatic effect, "I also never went to the football games, because I hate sports-" I added in quickly, "-and also because I was never really interested at conforming to society's idealistic vision of _perfection_."

"I _so_ totally agree with you on that one!" She smiled and laughed, and pulled me towards the left where we walked in between two large buildings. To my right, I could clearly see the area where Ino and her other two friends were standing just earlier, "But what really sucks," Tenten brought me back to the conversation, "Is that, since I'm like that, none of the boys notice me. . ." She sighed.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I've never really had a boyfriend. . .and the only crush I've ever had was on this guy named Jake at my other school."

"Any luck?" She asked, doubt lacing the question.

"Nope." I popped the 'p' sound with my lips, "He was always with this annoying chick Samantha, as if she had him under her evil witch spell!" I moved my fingers around, as if mimicking her way of casting spells.

"Oh my gosh, I _so_ know what you're talking about!"

I raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile, "Really now?"

"Yeah," She sighed, "There's this guy that I like a lot, and I've had a _major_ crush on him since freshmen year, but he doesn't notice me. . ."_'Ouch, even I'm hurting a little inside.' _"Oh well," She reached for the handle to one of the doors outside of a colossal building that seemed to peer high over the sky, "He's kind of a douche anyway."

I laughed at the nickname she gave the guy she was talking about, and said, "Well, don't worry," I put one hand on her shoulder, "There are _plenty _of other douches out there."

She giggled, "You know what Doctor Sakura?" Then she held the door open for me, "I really don't doubt that!"

I walked into the building after saying thanks, and she soon took the lead when I looked at her with a very confused expression, ". . .where are we?"

"This," She began, walking up to a map on the wall, "This building is where the gym _and_ the stadiums are held. See?" She pointed to the map and explained all of the large rooms spread throughout this building, "There are concrete hallways that go all the way around the stadiums, allowing you do choose which ever one you want to go in. Right here, next to us," She pointed to the side at a smooth wall, "Is the gym, which looks just like any ordinary high school gym, except there are a few pieces of equipment that are different."

I nodded my head to show her I was still listening, and she continued to speak, "Through this hallway next to us, you can find the Tundra Stadium," She dragged her finger on the map, and the hallway she was tracing appeared to be parallel with the Primary building, "And if you go farther down, you'll come across the Mountainous Stadium. If you make another turn, and continue to walk, you'll find the Plain Stadium on your left, and a little farther down, you'll find the Jungle Stadium." Finally, she pointed down the hallway behind us, "Connecting all the way around, or going down this hallway, you'll make it to the Desert and Savannah Stadium."

'_Holy crap.' _"This place looks, and sounds, _huge_." She laughed, and I'm pretty sure it was because my eyes were wide, and a fly might've flown in my mouth.

"It's okay," This time it was her chance to put her hand on _my_ shoulder, "Trust me, after three months, you'll have this place memorized, and it'll be like a second home!"

She began to laugh again at my expression, but stopped when voices erupted from the third hallway she hadn't told me about, "Aside from the hallways that go around the entire building, there are also hallways that are all the way around the Stadiums, and in between them, just so students can get there faster." She winked, and grabbed my hand to pull me down the hall with chanting cheers and screams.

I was dragged all the way down the hall until we stopped at a four-way intersection, and quickly Tenten took the left passageway, "Right now," She began speaking as she put her hands on the double doors she had been looking for, "We're behind the Gym, and about to enter the Plain Stadium."

Before I could get the chance to ask her exactly what was beyond those doors, she shoved them open and showed me. A gust of cool air came through the doors, and so did a thick sheet of hollers and cheers. Slowly we walked inside, going up a set of stairs that took us up to metal stands that looked a lot like seats at San Arcos' football games, "Wow. . ." Was the only word I could mutter as I dumbly tripped over one of the steps while trying to keep my eyes on the large grass field. There were small hills, and bits of dirt, but other than that, the entire floor was covered in bright green grass.

"Neat, isn't it?" Tenten asked me with her head tilted, as we then began walking on a flat surface across the front of the Stadium stands.

"It's absolutely amazing-" But I stopped my breath when I looked up at the ceiling, and the detail and lighting put into it made it look _exactly_ like the sky outside. Although, there was not only a steaming sun, but a bright full moon as well.

Suddenly, I was pulled out of my thoughts as I bumped into Tenten, and she looked at me like she would if it was funny that I had 'too much to drink', "My bad." I smiled, and followed her up another set of stairs, glancing around for an empty seat.

"Hey! Tenten!" Tenten and I looked up, with our backs to the large grass field, spotted a boy with brown hair waving his hand towards us, "We saved a spot for you!"

My heart beat quickened, and suddenly I became nervous at the idea of meeting more people, "Sakura, are you alright?" Tenten asked as she began ascending the stairs up to where the boy was; I nodded my head and forced a small smile, and felt relieved when she took it.

When we arrived where the boy was sitting, I noticed that there was a girl with long, purple hair sitting on his right, and a jacket on the seats in front of him. He removed his black jacket from the seats, which was probably used to save them, and Tenten and I sat down. She turned around and began an exciting conversation with the two, but I continued to face forward.

The Stadium was large, and I couldn't believe how many students actually went to North Academy! It made my heart beat even faster, and my face turn slightly red at the idea of having to fight someone in front of _all_ of them. _'How humiliating!' _

I took a deep breath, and continued my observations. On all four sides of the Stadium, there were large stands that contained vast amounts of students, all of which were holding up flags, foam fingers, and jumping up and down while screaming. _'This must be their interpretation of football.'_

In all four corners of the Stadium, there were doors that most likely led to the hallways Tenten and I were previously in. I turned my head in every direction I could, trying to memorize as many faces as possible, so that tomorrow at school I could start some kind of conversation by saying, "Oh hey! I saw you yesterday at the fight! Wow. . . Good times!" Eh. _'Lame.' _

Although, it was really neat to see most of the students with peculiar Hybrid features; I saw a few students with large ears, _'Ew'_, some with fluffy tails, _'Okay, so that's kind of cute.'_,some with strange colored eyes, _'Like me! Yay!'_ and others with strange skin tones, _'Tans, much?'. _

"Sakura!"

I turned quickly to face Tenten, "Yes?" I asked innocently.

"This," She pointed, and I turned around, resting one leg on the stand's bench, "Is Kiba."

I faced the brown-haired boy she was pointing to, and was met with a large, warm smile, "So, you must be Sakura?" Then he held out his hand towards me.

I couldn't help but smile back, "Yeah, I'm Sakura. Nice to meet you." I shook his hand, and then looked at the girl next to him.

"This is Hinata," Tenten introduced the girl, and I noticed that she had very pretty pearl eyes, "Hinata, this is Sakura, my new roommate."

"Nice to meet you," She said quietly, holding out her hand for me to shake, just as Kiba had.

"It's nice to meet you too," I smiled a little more for her, just because she appeared to be very shy.

They continued on with their conversation, but this time I stayed in my position, and watched them as they spoke, "So where's Naruto?" Kiba asked.

Tenten looked around, "You know what? That's a good question."

"He seemed a little angry in Athletics today." Hinata commented.

"Yeah, that's true," Kiba's eyes grew wide, as if he were getting very close to finding the answer to world hunger.

"Who's Naruto?" I butted in, and they didn't seem to mind.

Kiba sighed, "He's _really _annoying, and _very_ loud."

Tenten hit his knee playfully, "He's our friend," She said to me, but then turned to the boy, "Right, Kiba?"

He rolled his eyes, "You know I'm just joking!"

She gave him a look and turned to me, "He's tall, has spiky yellow hair, and has three lines on each side of his face that sort of look like whiskers."

"And he's always getting into trouble, and starting fights when he's not supposed to!" Kiba laughed, "It's actually really funny, because he gets angry so freaken easily!"

"Oh!" I gasped, and they all looked me with puzzled expressions, "Was he wearing an orange shirt today?"

"That's all he wears!" Kiba joked, and Tenten once again slapped his knee, but this time he stuck his tongue out at her.

"I actually saw him in the office earlier today-"

"Oh yeah!" Kiba exclaimed, interrupting me.

"What happened?" Hinata asked in both worry and curiosity.

He began laughing as he thought back on earlier that day, "During Algebra II, he actually got in a fight with Neji, and Ibiki wacked both of them in the face with one of those thick math books, and sent them to the office!" He continued his hysterical laughter that made me want to laugh along with him, but I refrained from doing so, "Oh my God, it was _so_ funny! You should've been there!"

After he was done laughing, Hinata looked even more worried, and Tenten's lip was twitching but she forced herself to stay angry, "When will those two learn?"

"I hope never!" Kiba commented with a large smile, "Naruto's the only reason I go to school."

"That's. . .sweet?" I said, wanting to join the conversation, but not sure what to say.

Kiba pointed at me while looking at Tenten, "See, why can't you be nice like her?"

Tenten began pushing his finger, and face away, when suddenly a loud sound echoed off the walls. Everyone, including the four of us, turned and looked towards the center of the grass field. There were two adults standing in the spotlight as the lights around them dimmed a little, and the students' screams became louder.

"Who's that?" I had to ask Tenten loudly just to hear myself.

"They're the instructors for Athletics; the woman with the fishnet and blow horn is Anko, and the man in the green tights is Gai."

"Quiet!" The women in the center of the field yelled, and everyone in the Stadium obeyed, "Welcome to Fry Freshmen Day, where it's been three months since school has started, and Freshmen are now allowed to challenge any of the upperclassmen!" A few boos came from our side, and two other sides, but the third side began cheering, _'The stands must be separated by class.' _

Then, the man next to her in green tights began speaking, "It's nice to see all of your fresh faces, young Hybrids! I hope you rested over the weekend, because from here on out, competition is going to begin heating up!" This time, everyone in the Stadium began cheering, "Now, I hope you young Hybrids understand that it's been three years since-"

The cheering got louder, and I couldn't understand anything Gai was saying, "What is he talking about?" I yelled towards Tenten.

"He's talking about the Hybrid Battle Royal, but most of the teenagers call it the Brawl. Don't worry, it's a few months from now, I'll talk to you about it later."

I nodded my head, and turned my attention back to the two at the center of the field. The students began to quiet down as a serious tone was added to the woman's voice who was now speaking, "As you all know - freshmen, you should be used to this by now - every Monday we review the rules."

Then Gai took the lead again, "Obscene language is not to be used," He held up a finger as he named each rule, "Faking a loss is _not_ permitted," _'Damn.' _"Grades are determined by fierce behavior; extra points are given to those who fully go into their Hybrid mode, and stay in control."

"And finally," Anko added, "The match ends when your opponent either calls 'Forfeit', is knocked out, or dies."

My eyes widened at the last part, and my heart began pounding in my ears, _'Dies?' _Tenten looked at me with concern in her eyes as my arms began to shake a little, "It's okay, I won't let that happen to you." She spoke softly, now that the noise had gone down.

I turned to face her, and she gave me a comforting smile, but the fear of losing my life at this school still hung in the air. I trusted her words as much as my heart would let me, and gave her a small smile back, hoping she could understand that I was still worried.

We turned back to face the two at the center while Anko began speaking, "Now," Her voice was soothing, "Let's bow our heads in silent prayer, for those who have lost their lives here, and for those who may in the future."

No one spoke a word as a long minute went by, and I disobeyed by curiously glancing around at all of the students in the Stadium. Everyone, except for myself, had their heads down in respect, as a somber atmosphere drifted in, and cloaked the once cheerful room.

Slowly, everyone began pulling their heads up, until finally Anko forced the depressing mood away by returning her enthusiastic energy, "Who's ready to fight?" She screamed, and automatically all the students began screaming their heads off with enough force to probably destroy this building.

'_Sheesh, how can they get over that so quickly? I'm still depressed!' _My new found depression, along with their happiness, didn't mix very well.

"Cheer-up, Sakura!" Kiba called from behind me and I turned to face him, "Dying is actually very com-"

"Shut-up Kiba! You're not helping!" Tenten hushed him and he pouted.

I was confused, and Tenten patted my shoulder, "Don't worry about it right now, just enjoy the fight." She smiled, and my intertwining, chaotic emotions were still there! Two weeks ago, I was at home with my annoying, Monday homework assignments, wondering whether I should have hot chocolate with marshmallows, or without. I would've never guessed that two weeks later I'd be a Hybrid, sitting in a large Stadium with hundreds of other Hybrids, confused as to whether or not I was going to live to see the age of seventeen!

I shook my head as Gai began to announce the first _victims_, "First, we have. . ." He drifted the last word for dramatic effect, "From the Freshmen class. . . Konohamaru!" Someone screamed in excitement from what I presumed to be the freshmen side, and began running down the stairs, heading straight for the center of the field.

"Then," Anko took over, "From the Junior class. . ." My heart began pounding and everyone around me seemed to stiffen with adrenaline and excitement, "Shikamaru!" I turned and saw someone on our side stand up, and slowly walk down to the front just as the freshman had.

"Yes!" Tenten pumped her fist in the air and caught onto everyone's enthusiasm as she began cheering.

"Who's that?" I asked her.

Tenten turned to patiently explain to me, "Shikamaru is a Junior, of course, but he's really smart and one of the best fighting Hybrids here!"

I looked over at him, and noticed a small scowl on his face, "He sure doesn't look like it."

She laughed, "That's because his one weakness is his laziness. Although, he is getting better at it. I'm surprised Konohamaru actually decided to challenge him!"

"How do you know it's not the other way around?" I asked her.

She continued to watch the center of the field while answering my question, "Because upperclassmen aren't allowed to challenge freshmen or sophomores, but they can challenge us."

"What about seniors?"

She turned and gave me a worried look, "It's best not to challenge seniors, because all seniors get close training with professional Hybrids that visit us from the Military. Seniors usually challenge other seniors, and only rarely juniors will challenge a senior."

'_Oh. . .' _I thought about all of the rules while Tenten continued to scream, Kiba stomped his fight, and even Hinata opened up a little as the enthusiastic adrenaline flowed throughout the Stadium. I tapped Tenten on the shoulder as another question came to my mind, "Can a senior _ever_ challenge a junior?"

Tenten thought about it for a moment before she said, "Yeah," My heart dropped, "But it's super rare, and the junior is allowed to forfeit if they want to. Fortunately if they do, no points will be added _or_ subtracted from their grade."

I was relieved, and let out a lot of air I hadn't realized I was holding in my chest, _'It's okay, if that ever happens, I'll just forfeit.' _I smiled, but that soon changed into a frown as another thought hit me, _'Although, I can't if any one else challenges me. . .let's just hope I don't get challenged at all! Besides, I can lose a few points off of my grades, I don't mind getting all B's!' _Internally I nodded my head, feeling quite satisfied, yet still worried.

The two adults at the center of the field ran to the sides, and once they were there, the two students shook hands. Music began playing, which surprised me a little. It was fast, and boosted the energy in the room, and varied in beats and rhythms. A smile grew on my face as even I let out a scream, but then covered my mouth before asking Tenten, "What's playing?"

She laughed, "Students have different songs that they choose to play during the fights, and Konohamaru must've picked this one. Normally, it's Trance, or some form of Dance music." She shrugged her shoulders, "Hybrids have been known to be amazing Ravers." She winked.

I laughed, feeling all of the worry and depression slide off of me like water, and actually decided to focus on the fight that was in front of us.

Shikamaru and Konohamaru jumped away from each other, quickly pulling kunai out in front of them in the same defensive position I'd seen Ino in earlier. They were far apart, facing each other with a fierce intensity in their eyes that locked, and kept all of us on the edge of our seats. At least until Anko yelled, "Fight!"

Konohamaru was the first to spring, anxiously running towards Shikamaru in a flash that forced my inexperienced eyes to focus. Shikamaru was still standing in his defensive position as his opponent threw the kunai and it stopped a few inches in front of his eyes. I gasped, watching the floating kunai threaten the proximity between it and Shikamaru, but the boy didn't seem to mind as he snatched it from the air and now held two kunai. In a instant, he was in front of Konohamaru, catching the younger boy off guard.

Konohamaru pulled out another kunai, but Shikamaru was now suddenly behind him. The younger boy was quick, and so he spun around and ducked as Shikamaru fell forward, but turned that into a roll and recovered. Konohamaru then sprung up from his position and back-flipped two times before crouching down and springing back towards Shikamaru. He pulled out a second kunai, and began spinning in the air towards his opponent.

"Hey! He's copying my Gatsuga!" I turned and Kiba was holding up a fist. A deep bark resonated from somewhere in the stands, in what sounded like agreement. I turned and looked up, now noticing a large white dog at the very top of the stands. My eyes grew wide, and I was about to ask Tenten about him, but suddenly everyone's voices grew louder, _'If that's even possible.' _I cringed as a girl on our side screamed with a high-pitched tone.

I turned back to the field, and joined everyone right at the moment when Shikamaru held out his hands and Konohamaru froze in the air. Shikamaru slowly began raising his hands up in the air, and Konohamaru struggled against the invisible force as he began rising with his opponent's hand. With a look of concentration on Shikamaru's face, he held one of his hands very still, and began spinning the other.

Mimicking his moving hand, Konohamaru was now in the air spinning. Quickly, Shikamaru stopped his movements and sent the young boy flying towards one of the concrete walls that held the stands off of the ground, and protected the students.

"That's exactly why freshmen should stick to their own class!" Tenten said to me, and then screamed, "Go Shikamaru!"

The young man put his hands in his pockets, and titled his head to the side as the dust around the newly formed crater slowly cleared. The freshmen side began cheering louder as a four legged cat with long, pointy ears, emerged from the smoke. The big cat almost appeared to be smirking as he stepped forward, swishing his tail in annoyance from side to side.

I squinted my eyes, not sure as to what type of animal that was. He had the same color fur as a cougar, but pointy ears like a Lynx, "What _is_ he?" I asked Tenten, hoping she wouldn't freak out on me like earlier in our room.

"That," She pointed, "Is actually a caracal."

"A what?" I gave her a strange look.

She laughed, "Don't worry, you'll know a lot about identifying animals when you get into Hybridology. Learning what types of animals are out there will really assisted you when you're forced into a-" Screams echoing around us cut her off as both of our heads whipped to the field.

Konohamaru, now seen as a caracal, sprinted forward with much more speed than before. He dodged from side to side as Shikamaru shot blasts of invisible energy from the palms of his hands. He gritted his teeth, holding his arms up when the caracal swiped his paw from a distance, and Shikamaru's sleeves tore. Confusion played around in my mind as I tried to figure everything out, but failed miserably.

Shikamaru held onto his arm for a moment, but seemed to quickly recover as he physically shook off his stress, and sprinted towards the caracal. The big cat's hair stood up as the older boy faked a punch to Konohamaru's cat face, and instead, appeared at his side and used his knee to kick the furry animal in the ribs. The cat flew to the side, but recovered by jumping off the concrete wall he was heading towards.

Konohamaru landed on all four of his paws, but switched to his two back feet as he let out a growl that rumbled the Stadium, and began chomping his jaws together. Shikamaru covered his ears, and appeared to be in pain as he took the cat's non-existent hits. Now that I was engrossed in the fight, I sat in anticipation and worry.

The caracal jumped, and twisted in the air into a barrel roll, but landed safely in a crouched, defensive position. _'Why did he move out of the way?'_ My question was semi-answered when I noticed the junior's arms were covered in a bit of fur, and his nails had become much sharper. Tenten must've sensed my confusion at Shikamaru's sudden change and said, "What he's doing, is what makes him a powerful Hybrid."

"What _is_ he doing?" I asked as I stared at him.

"We call this ability 'Anamorphosis', and it's when you don't fully change into your animal, but you pull a part of it and force it on your Human form. It's very difficult, and excruciatingly painful! Right now, he wants to use the technique Konohamaru used earlier, except now it's going to be much powerful because you're in more control when you're using Anamorphosis."

I nodded my head in a bit of understanding, and returned to the fight. Shikamaru held his furry, Human hands up in the air like earlier, and like last time, Konohamaru couldn't move. Although, this technique was a bit different, because this time he crossed his arms over one another and held them there. Quickly, he tightened his hands into fists, and appeared to rip away an invisible curtain as he threw his arms to their appropriate sides fiercely.

The caracal tossed his head from side to side, and struggled to get out of Shikamaru's tight grip as he repeated the action once more; crossing his arms, tightening his fists, and ripping something away. The cat's scream turned into a young boy's as the furry body twitched and struggled to resize itself into it's original Human form. Shikamaru stayed in his spot with his arms crossed over each other, and his hands flat up against an invisible wall.

The patches of fur finally disappeared off of Konohamaru's body, and the boy's arms shook as he struggled to straighten them and get up, but Shikamaru had a tight hold on him. The freshman fell back down on the ground, and began breathing heavily as he yelled, "Forfeit!"

Everyone on our side stood up and cheered, chanting Shikamaru's name, as the first brave freshman was taken out. A small laugh started at the pit of my stomach, but worked its way up as I stood up and began cheering along with everyone else, "Whoo!" Tenten and I screamed together, and laughed along with each other, _'I've always hated football, so why do I enjoy watching fights? On a violence scale, this is probably worse!' _But my worrisome thoughts drifted away as a new sort of adrenaline slipped into my veins and, like a corrosive acid, slowly dematerialized bits of my pacifist shield.

Shikamaru sighed and hunched his shoulders over as his long nails, and fur on his arms, retracted into his skin, leaving small spots of blood. The junior shook his body, as if putting it back in working order, and yawned. His hands went straight into his pockets, and he lazily tilted his head to side as we all watched a young female run over to Konohamaru.

"Who's that?" I asked Tenten curiously.

"That's Nurse Rin." She answered quickly.

Everyone continued to cheer, but I watched in fascination as the young woman placed her hands over the boy, and a green light illuminated from her hands. I wanted to ask Tenten what she was doing, but Gai's booming voice cut me off, "Two hundred HP goes to Shikamaru for using Anamorphosis, and a hundred HP goes to Konohamaru for showing his Hybrid Spirit!"

"Although," Anko pointed out, "Twenty-five HP is deducted for forfeiting while conscious!"

When the woman was finished with whatever she was doing to Konohamaru, the young boy stood up and walked towards Shikamaru. With both of their heads up and proud, they shook hands, and to my surprise, the freshman still had a cocky smile on his face. Shikamaru leaned over and whispered something to Konohamaru, and after that, he patted his shoulder and they both left the field to return to their appropriate stands.

Everyone patted Shikamaru's back and shoulders as he passed by his cheering fans and fellow students in the stands, and went back to the seat he'd been sitting in earlier. In the freshmen stands, I could hear kids complimenting Konohamaru on his skills, and he just smiled as if he hadn't been in a fight only minutes ago. It really was surprising how everyone was so nonchalant about violence, and how it even brought large smiles to everyone's faces, _'Maybe one day I'll be able to fully understand why this brings Hybrids together.' _

I smiled, and everyone sat back down as two more students were called to the center of the Stadium. One was a male freshman, and the other was a female sophomore. Like the fight before, they both showed amazing skill and speed, dodging past one another, and shooting invisible jolts of energy. Although, like the last fight, the older Hybrid appeared to be more skilled as the freshman fell for a few of the sophomore's traps.

The freshman was, once again, the first one to morph into his animal. He jumped into the air, throwing a kunai to distract the sophomore, and landed on the ground as a large. . .deer thing.

I opened my mouth to ask Tenten what he was, but she interrupted me, already knowing what I was going to ask, "That's an elk." My brain began doing flips as I wondered, _'How in the world does an elk fight?' _I could understand a tiger, lion, bear, or even a big bird! But an herbivore that doesn't even show much aggressiveness in the _wild_? "Don't let looks deceive you, Sakura." Tenten giggled, and suddenly I was all the more interested in the fight.

The elk reared up on his hind legs, and fell forward on his two front hooves. The impact caused the ground to split, and momentarily took the sophomore off guard as she struggled to stay stable. The freshman took advantage of the opportunity and raced forward, using his horns to throw the young girl into the air. He waited patiently for her to fall back down, and when she was close enough, and buck his hind legs up and kicked her across the stadium.

The girl's scream was caught off as she hit the ground and slide across a pile of dirt. Slowly she stood up, wiping the dust off of her, and began running towards her opponent. He put his head down, showing his horns more prominently, and suddenly they began appearing all around him like a force field. The girl stopped and then began running parallel to him, jumping into the air, and landing on the ground as a gazelle. _'At least I know what that one is! But, seriously? A gazelle?'_

Now I was on the edge of my seat, and watched as the gazelle jolted from side to side, much faster than the elk, or even Konohamaru's caracal. She zipped all around him, galloping faster with every push of her graceful hind legs. The elk's peculiar shield shimmered, and threatened to take out the gazelle as she drifted closer, and nearer.

Finally, she stopped, and lowered her head and threw it back as her two long horns exerted a powerful energy. Quickly, she took off once again, before the elk could hit her with the same energy he forced from his horns, but in only one spot on his shield. The other sets of blurry horns around him were still, and every once and a while I'd see a particular one move, but never two at the same time.

"So what's that type of defense called?" I asked Tenten as she pulled herself out of the excitement of the fight between the two herbivores.

"Hm?" She looked over at the elk, "Oh, yeah! That's 'Illusory', which is a type of deceptive move that isn't real. Although, just because those extra set of horns aren't there, doesn't mean that it won't hurt if that sophomore were to go running towards them. I'm actually impressed!"

'_You're impressed? What about me!' _I tilted my head, "You're impressed?"

"Yeah! I mean, it takes _a lot_ of chakra control to keep up a dangerous defense like that one!"

"Huh." I thought about it, and wondered if I'd ever be able to use attacks like theirs.

Taking me back from my thoughts and curiosity, I rejoined the other students as they continued to scream and cheer. The young gazelle danced around the elk's defense, consistently hitting him with jolts of energy from her horns, and then sprinting off to repeat it on another side.

Suddenly, the other horns shimmered and disappeared as the elk came back into view with shaky legs. _'Did she hit him?' _

Now that he was exposed, the sophomore began running in circles around the elk, causing him to become dizzy. He stopped and shook his head, but was surprised when she quickly turned around and used her hind legs to kick him in his long face. His furry head flew to the side, and she slid back, putting her head down and building up chakra in her horns.

He successfully recovered, and was about to counterattack, but it was too late. A bright blue light shown from her long antlers on the gazelle, making them much longer and sharper. Finally, she threw her head back, tossing the energy towards the elk, and a ripping sound erupted as if the gazelle had torn into time itself. The elk flew back to one of the concrete walls, just as Konohamaru had, but this time a sick crackling sound erupted.

A few people became quiet, and stood up to try to get a better view at the elk as Nurse Rin ran up to him, and placed her bright green hands on him in various spots. The Stadium was then completely silent, and only a few whispers and murmurs were heard. Slowly, the horns and fur retracted into the young boy, pulling him back into his Human form.

The sophomore girl skipped in the air and landed on her feet in her Human form, placing one of her hands on her hip, and allowing a smug smirk to spread across her features. _'. . .looks like a total bitch.' _I glared from a distance.

Nurse Rin turned to Anko and Gai, who were waiting anxiously at the center of the field, "He's fine, but he has a small fracture in his skull and shoulder." Everyone in the Stadium sighed in relief, and the sophomore side began cheering for the girl at the center who flipped her hair in triumph.

"Damn, deer are _fierce_." I mumbled.

Tenten laughed and said, "She's not a deer, she's a gazelle."

"Same thing!" Kiba called from behind me.

I turned around and said, "Thank you, Kiba!"

"You know what?" He pointed, "You're _very_ welcome." And then he stuck his tongue at Tenten who seemed skeptical.

"Sakura, are you on my side or his?"

I raised my hands up in defense, "Sorry, I don't pick sides!"

Kiba ruffled my hair, "I know that you're really saying you're on my side!" I looked at him with a shocked expression, and he laughed, Hinata giggled, and Tenten rolled her eyes playfully.

I was about to say something to him, but I decided not to because I was actually really curious as to how much HP the two students earned. Anko announced that the sophomore girl earned a hundred and fifty, while the boy earned fifty, but gained twenty-five for using Illusory.

'_Oh I see, so the more difficult abilities you use, the more HP you earn!' _I smiled, feeling triumphant that I'd figured something out on my own without having to ask Tenten.

A few other adults ran from the sidelines with a small rolling stretcher, and helped Nurse Rin lift the boy off the ground and onto the stretcher. Once they were gone, the girl walked back to her side of the Stadium, and the other sophomores continued cheering for her.

This continued for what seemed like hours, but was really packed together in fifteen minute intervals. Most of the students who went up were freshmen, and only challenged sophomores. Although, there was one freshman who challenged another freshman, and there was even a sophomore who challenged a junior. But just as Tenten had said, there weren't _any_ seniors fighting. To be honest, I was actually a bit bummed out, because I really wanted to see what types of techniques the supposedly "super skilled" seniors used.

I sighed, and watched as all of the freshmen were defeated, and even laughed a little at the irony of the two freshmen fight when they fainted at the same time. As for Kiba, he went into one of this moments of hysterical laughter, and Tenten joined him.

"You guys must _really_ hate freshmen!" I giggled when their faces began turning red.

"N-No, that's not it!" Tenten gasped for air.

"It's just that they're so stupid it's cute!" Kiba gripped his stomach.

I began to panic a little, "Guys! Breathe!"

"It's okay," Hinata giggled, and I was almost forgot she was sitting with us, "They'll recover in a few minutes."

I laughed a little more, but not as much as my two new goofy friends, "Is it always like this?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Pretty much."

I sighed, and was about to say something else to Hinata, but her eyes were now wide with a strange emotion in them I couldn't quite describe, "Hinata?" I asked the girl, but she was frozen, and I would've thought she really was if it hadn't been for her involuntary shivering. Perplexed, I glanced at the center of the field and found only Anko and Gai standing there. That didn't seem strange, so I looked back at Hinata, and still she was unmoving, _'What's gotten into her?'_

The other two continued to laugh, and just like me, were completely oblivious as to what was going on. Slowly, all around us, the other students hushed each other and turned their screaming voices into whispers and murmurs. A toxic cloud fueled with fear and anxiety ripped away everyone's once joyful exteriors as it drifted across the Stadium, intoxicating every mind and heart.

Subtly, Kiba and Tenten stopped their enthusiastic laughter, and glanced around with curious expressions. For a moment, they looked exactly like me, except they figured out what was going on much more quickly than I could have. I was itching to ask Tenten what was going on, but she was unmoving as well.

The Stadium room became much darker as the lights dimmed, and the generic clouds moved in front of the sun and moon. Lights on the edges of the field automatically turned on, and the only ones in the room that I could clearly see were Anko and Gai. They appeared normal, but seemed just as hesitant and weary as everyone else was.

The first one to break the silence was Anko, "Our final match is between one of our well-known, and respected seniors-" She was cut off as a rumbling erupted throughout the Stadium, and a spot on the ground next to Anko began pushing up. Bits of rubble broke through the thick surface, until finally a body emerged from underneath the ground, floating up, and settling down next to her. A long, thin, scorpion tail twitched and hovered behind the senior as he grinned at all of the other student's faces. "-Socorro." She finally finished, using a hand to gesture towards the man.

Gai continued Anko's introduction as she became visually nervous like the rest of us, "And he has asked to challenge. . ." He watched everyone in the room, squinting against the light to see their faces, "A junior. . .Sasuke Uchiha."

More murmurs and whispers echoed across the room, and I couldn't understand why everyone was panicking. Now, my curiosity was causing an unbearable rash that desperately needed to be scratched with some answers from Tenten, but I still couldn't find it in me to ask her. _'I suppose I'm going to have to find out for myself.' _

I took a deep breath, and let it in, and out, before stopping all of my thoughts and completely focusing on the field before me. Unfortunately, my nerves wouldn't allow my heart beat to slow down, and I wouldn't doubt it if everyone in the Stadium could hear it. So I sat there, with my heart beating against my chest, waiting patiently for the other student to arrive.

No one moved a muscle, although some broke free and glanced around like myself. I linked eyes with a few of those people, and they wearily smiled at me. I took the same amount of _happiness_ they were delivering, and returned it, not wanting to expose myself as the ignorant new student just yet. On the outside, I mimicked the other student's scared expressions, but on the inside, my heart was doing back flips and my blood was swimming with excitement.

'_I actually get to see a senior fight! Even Tenten said it was rare for a senior to challenge a junior, so this junior must be just as powerful.'_ And right when I was thinking that, an eerie black cloud began forming next to Gai. He stepped a few feet away from it when the texture of the onyx fog grew thicker, and eventually a male materialized from it. He stepped forward, and the cloud diminished behind him.

The young man had his hands in his pockets as he stood calmly before the other three, appearing apathetic. I titled my head, and noticed that he was very casual compared to most of the other students at North Academy. He had on a loose, white t-shirt, fitted black jeans, some kind of black shoes, and finally a purple belt.

My head pulsed once, and I gripped it, feeling some part of my memories trying to force its way to the surface. My mind was trying to remember something, but I was hurting trying to figure out what that was. "_Don't let anyone get you down, Sakura. You keep your head up high."_ My father's voice echoed at the endless depths of my thoughts.

I tried shaking my head to get his voice out, or at least try to understand why it was there all of a sudden, but it wouldn't go away. When that failed, I tried to focus on the four beings at the center of the field.

Anko turned to Sasuke, "Are you ready to fig-"

"Forfeit." He muttered softly.

'_Did I just hear him correctly?' _I felt a bit disappointed once again, and was about to sit back and try to talk to Tenten, but no one else in the Stadium seemed to be moving.

Socorro's tail whipped from side to side, and a small smirk played on his lips as he said, "Demand." And looked at the junior from head, to foot, and back up.

Sasuke's face was hidden perfectly behind his hair, so I wasn't sure as to what type of expression he was making. As for the rest of his body, he didn't move a muscle. Just like the other matches, Anko and Gai stepped to the side lines, and Socorro jumped a few feet away, but Sasuke still stayed in his same position.

Anko put her back against the concrete wall, "Please get ready to fight. . ." She asked softly, "Socorro called for a Demand."

'_Why isn't he doing anything?' _I scrunched my eyebrows together, and glanced around when gasps and whimpers came from different directions in the Stadium. _'What the hell is going on?'_

As I looked around, a few eyes were on Sasuke, while other eyes were fixated on the ceiling. I averted mine in that direction, hoping to find something new, and held my breath as my eyes came in contact with a bright, full moon. . . '-_the only light was the gorgeous glow of the full moon as it peered through insignificant clouds. . . Just like the moon from my dream. . .' _

I gasped, now understanding what was going on, but my new found thoughts and mixed emotions weren't enough to keep me from putting one hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming as I watched Sasuke. He sighed, and turned to face the artificial moon, opening his eyes to stare directly at it. Suddenly he hunched over, gripping his long bangs as he gritted his teeth in what appeared to be excruciating pain.

Slowly, bits of black fur began forming across his body, layering his skin with the onyx coat. Finger nails then grew and sharpened into beast-like claws, and his shoes ripped apart as his legs and feet stretched into haunches. The body continued to widen and expand, as well as his face which morphed down, and forced itself into a long snout. Ears extended up, and a crackling noise echoed as a tail extended from his tailbone.

Involuntarily, my body began shaking and both of my hands were covering my mouth as my eyes grew wider. The beast on the field slowly turned around to face Socorro, and hunched forward, opening his mouth to let out a horrific screech that cried out like the trash cans I thought I'd heard in my _dream_.

The wolf-like being wasn't like the other Hybrids that stayed on four legs, instead, he stayed on his hind legs the entire time, walking like a human being. The sight was eerie, and sent cold shivers up my spine. Slowly he turned, and began glancing around the stands. I tried to duck my head down, but his perfect vision soon caught sight of me, and I gripped my hands around my mouth even tighter.

He made a soft cry, but his eyes displayed some sort of other emotion, and that frightened me to the ends of the earth. The two orbs were blood red, and glowed with a fierce intensity that forced my heart beat to pound against it's frail cage. Just like my dream, I could feel something inside me telling me not to scream, and that I shouldn't be afraid.

Slowly, my thoughts diminished, and I began feeling dizzy as the world around me spun in a soft, blurry circle. My head went from heavy, to light, and the sudden change caused me to fall back. . .

_An older man's voice screamed, "Sakura!" _

_I tried to move, I really did try, but I couldn't. A sick laughter that made me all the more afraid and confused came from some where in the large room. _

_As quietly as possible, I began to sob, but that was all I could do. _'Move, arms! Move!' _I thought, and strained my muscles, but they wouldn't obey. Everything in my body stopped working. . .except for my tears, and my thoughts. _

_Loud and fast stomps picked up speed, and I realized the owner of those feet were coming towards me, _'No! Stay away from me!' _I tried to scream, but I was nothing but a useless vegetable. I held no expression on my face, and I searched the depths of my mind for some sort of memory. . .but there were none. _

"_It's going to be okay." The voice was soft, and young like mine. The owner of the voice put his hands under my shoulders and lifted me up, holding me close against his chest. The warmth from the young boy was comforting, and I wanted to curl up against it and fall asleep, but nothing seemed to be working. _

"_Please," I heard the older man's voice again, "Don't let them get her. Promise me you'll take care of her." The man's voice crackled and choked, and I could no longer hear him breathing. _

_The only thing that was audible now, was the racing heartbeat in the young boy's chest. I could feel him breathing in and out, as his chest rose up and down, and his voice rumbled as he said, "I promise."_

**You know what really pisses me off? The fact that it always takes someone a really, really long time to create something, and then it takes like... five minutes to look at it! I spent all day yesterday, ignoring my homework, and writing this, and it's as short as chapter two! -angry face- **

**Whatever.. lol. 'Tis okay, I enjoy writing these chapters nonetheless. **

**I hope you noticed that I changed my writing style (just a bit) and added humor, new characters, new situations, and ooh.. more mystery (:  
This was supposed to be up yesterday, but I got distracted and started drawing a smexy sasusaku picture, and then took another three hours because my scanner was being a total douchebag.  
-sigh-  
And by the time I was finished with that, I finished my story, and fell asleep while reading over it. Haha. **

**So yeah.. R&R (:**

* * *


	6. Uncovering The Lies

_Somewhere inside myself I could feel my body shaking, and I knew in some form that I was sobbing, but at the same time unmoving. Every part of my body burned, and I could feel a migraine building at the back of my skull. There were many voices in the room, some that weren't familiar at all, and others that I felt were supposed to be familiar. _

"Sakura!" _An older man's voice screamed in desperation and agony. He was calling to me, and I wanted to call back to him, to tell this stranger that I was okay, but nothing seemed to be working except my thoughts and internal tears. _

_I tried to move, I really did try, but I couldn't. A sick laughter echoed in the room, and made me all the more afraid and confused. I felt as if my heart should be pounding vigorously from the fear exemplifying inside me, but all the power it could manifest came in small pumps. _

'Move, arms! Move!' _I thought, and strained my muscles, but they wouldn't obey._

_Loud and fast stomps picked up speed, and I realized the owner of those feet were coming toward me, '_No! Stay away from me!' _I tried to scream, but I was nothing but a useless vegetable. I held no expression on my face, and I searched the depths of my mind for some sort of memory. . ._and slowly I could feel something forming.

"It's going to be okay." _The voice was soft, and young like mine. The owner of the voice put his hands under my shoulders and lifted me up, holding me close against his chest. The warmth from the young boy was comforting, and I wanted to curl up against it and fall asleep, but nothing seemed to be working. _

"Please," _I heard the older man's voice again, _"Don't let them get her. Promise me you'll take care of her."_ The man's voice crackled and choked, and I could no longer hear him breathing. I had heard the uncertainty in what he said, and that he didn't quite trust the boy, but his desperation drowned that out. _

A sharp pain etched it's way into my chest, into the depths of my heart, and I wanted to put my hand there to comfort it in some way but I couldn't. I knew if the man was a complete stranger, I wouldn't have felt so heartbroken, but somehow I knew he was something more.

Silent tears streamed from my eyes. . .

_The only thing that was audible now, was the racing heartbeat in the young boy's chest. I could feel him breathing in and out, as his chest rose up and down, and his voice rumbled as he said, _"I promise."

* * *

'North Academy for Hybrids'

By: GaaraFox

Chapter VI: Uncovering The Lies

* * *

"Sakura, are you alright?" I heard Kiba's voice, barely above a whisper, and had to force myself to turn towards him to see what was going on. The scene between Sasuke and Socorro had been so mesmerizing, it was a sort of 'hypnotic silent drama' between the two of them. I didn't know Sasuke too well, but I knew from other matches that he wasn't the type to fight. But just like any other cornered animal, he'll switch on you for his escape.

I could always feel that it wasn't something he wanted, because it made other kids in the school cautious of him, but there was nothing he could do right now. A senior had announced a challenge, and instead of letting Sasuke forfeit like he wanted to, he called for a demand. In Hybrid Fighting terms, you can call for a demand if you really want to fight someone, but someone can't be demanded more than once a month.

Shaking my head, I finally managed to turn away from the epic scene at the center of the stadium. When I turned around to look at Kiba, he was holding a limp Sakura. "I-I think she fainted. . ." He stuttered as he looked from her pale face, to mine.

'_I don't blame her.'_ I thought, and sighed as I said,"Let's get her out of here, there's really no telling what's going to happen." He nodded his head, and I realized I'd sounded a lot more confident than I felt. I glanced at Hinata who was a bit shaky herself, and said, "You should go find Tsunade, and meet us at the Infirmary." She nodded, trying to rebalance her mind just like the rest of us.

Kiba stood up quickly, and bent over to pick Sakura up. Hinata and Kiba followed as I led them down the metal stairs, taking us away from all of the gawking and stupefied students. _'Good thing they're distracted, otherwise it'd be more difficult to get her out of here.'_

Quickly we flew down another flight of stairs, and onto the grass and through the doors that I'd originally come in with Sakura not too long ago. We fast-walked through the concrete halls, sometimes jumping to keep up with one another, until we finally made it to the front doors.

"I'm going to go on ahead of you guys to find Tsunade." Hinata muttered quietly, darting her eyes back and forth between Kiba and I to make sure it was okay.

"Yeah," I muttered quickly, "That's a good idea. Try to be fast, meet up with us when you can, okay?"

She nodded her head, but held an uneasy frown, as she pushed open the door and ran outside into the chilly weather. I watched her through the tinted glass as she looked left and right, and finally turned left. In the silence, we caught our breaths and allowed our heartbeats to rest, "We should probably get going. . .not sure what's wrong with Sakura." Kiba's voice was so soft I had to stop my thoughts just to register what he was saying.

"Yeah, you're right." I turned and smiled at him, and he returned a comforting smile back, "Come on, let's go." I said as I held the door open for him, and he jogged out into the cool air.

Taking the opposite path of Hinata, we darted out and quickly took to the right. My breath floated around me as the temperature seemed to decrease, forcing chills to spread through my body. I glanced around myself as I jogged in a fog of paranoia. _'There's nothing out here Tenten, it's just the dark playing tricks on your mind.'_ Silently I tried to convince myself just that, but the forest in the distance seemed to grow taller with every small step I took. Not just because we were getting closer to it, but because it wanted to appear overwhelming. . .and it was doing a good job of it.

Time seemed to freeze as the wind gently caressed the trees that appeared to be burned black from the absence of the sun's rays; my eyes searched the blanket of black for the Infirmary. Routinely I kept up my breathing, allowing my lungs to expand and deflate, trying to ignore to sharp rustling of leaves in the distance.

For a moment I abruptly stopped, staring at one particular spot out in the distance where there was a small patch of onyx between the army of trees. I titled my head and squinted my eyes, trying to get a better view, but I was never really good with distant Hybrid Sight. Suddenly an eerie feeling washed over me; it's the feeling you get when you know someone's looking at you, but you can't see them, although you know you're staring into their eyes. . .directly into their souls.

It was a chilly feeling, and I shivered, partly because of the cold and partly because I was afraid.

"Tenten?" I jumped and turned at the sound of my name as Kiba called from a few feet away.

I forced my eyes away, and shook my head. Softly I sighed and let out a small laugh that sounded more like a cough. Feeling a little shaky on the inside, I turned back to my path and ran toward Kiba who was eyeing me curiously. "Do you want me to go on without you? I know it's a little late, and you've been staying up every night-"

"No." I smiled, and he frowned in displeasure. "I'll be alright. We should go, now." He nodded, and this time we sprinted the short distance we had left. As we ran I took a moment to glance over at Sakura, her long pink hair bobbing as Kiba and I ran, and couldn't help but grin as I realized how much more exciting my life might get with her around. _'Hopefully that doesn't involve daily fainting.'_ I laughed quietly to myself.

When we arrived to the Infirmary, none of the lights appeared to be on. _'That'd be really stupid if it was locked. . .'_ Answering my own thought, I quietly pulled on the door handle and it smoothly opened. Kiba and I glanced at one another, and I allowed him to go in first with Sakura. The cool, sterile air hit us in a different tone as the night air. This one was frightening in a different way, _'I still hate shots.', _but more so comforting than the outside.

"Hello?" I called, and my loud echoing voice made both of us jump. Kiba turned and gave me a sheepish smile, and I shrugged back, not really caring to make fun of him for being scared of my voice. More softly this time, I tried again, "Is anyone here?"

'_Quiet! You'll wake the others!'_

We jumped again, looking all around us frantically, "There's someone in here in their Hybrid form." Kiba said quickly, and glanced in every direction for an animal instead of a "human".

Finally I gave up looking in the dark, and soon decided to simply _speak _to this Hybrid, _'Sorry we were loud, why is it so dark in here?'_

There was some rustling around, and a sort of scampering, before I heard in my mind, _'I think it is rather wise to save electricity, instead of using it all up. So when we are not busy, I use candles.' _

I wanted to quickly think, _'I don't see any candles'_, but I stopped myself and instead "said", _'Well, sorry to bother you, but we have someone with us. She fainted at the Stadium.'_

It was quiet for a little while before a small head poked up from where the desk was. As we walked up, we could see what had been speaking to us, "A beaver?" Kiba stifled a laugh, and in return I wacked him on the arm with the back of my hand. He pouted for a moment before turning back to one of our Hybrid Doctors. I hadn't ever seen him before, but that must be because he works the night shift.

'_Sorry about him. . .do you think you could take a look at her?'_ I asked politely, wondering just how he would be able to help us. I'm pretty sure Kiba was thinking this too, because when I glanced over at him he still had that stupid look on his face.

The small creature seemed to be pondering it for a moment, most likely knowing that we were in complete doubt. Although when he finally decided, he nodded his head and hopped off the side of the desk. He waved his small, furry arm in the air as he quietly walked on two legs down a hallway. We quickly followed after him, and had to keep looking down to make sure we weren't going to step on his tail or feet.

Finally we arrived in a room full of beds lined on each side of the wall, _'Put her in this one.' _The beaver made a gesture to the first bed.

Kiba did as he was told, and the beaver hopped up on a stool and turned on an extended lamp. It was the kind you used for desks, and you could bend it in any way you wanted to, just to get better lighting in a different spot.

In much curiosity as to how a beaver was going to help, Kiba and I both watched in complete interest as he placed his hands on her shoulder. He closed his eyes, appearing to be concentrating deeply. _'You're friend is alright.' _He seemed to mutter in our minds, more so to himself than to us. _'She is not physically hurt, but she is mentally.'_

'_What do you mean?' _I quietly mumbled.

He didn't say anything for another few minutes, at least until he pulled away from her, _'It seems as though she was late in her Transformation, am I correct?' _He glanced over at us and we both nodded. He nodded as well, and turned his head to look back at Sakura. _'She has. . .a lot of potential, to say the least.' _A cunning smile developed on his face as he looked up at us under his thick eyelashes, _'The Heart of an Archer.'_

I could feel the confusion of Kiba, and myself, as we stared at Sakura and then the beaver. _'I'm sorry, we're not following. . .the Heart of a what?' _

He shook his head, as if to clear his own thoughts. _'I'm going to look into her mind. This may take a few minutes, so take a seat or leave.'_

"Wait," Kiba lifted his hand, and the beaver looked at him in slight irritation. I gave him the same look, and he scratched the back of his head nervously, "I was just curious as to what the name of that ability is, or that ones you're going to do."

He shrugged as I looked at him with a 'not-a-bad-idea' glance.

The beaver mentally and physically sighed, and pushed up the small pair of glasses that was sitting on the edge of his nose, _'In order to cure a patient through the spiritual force inside their body, medics must use three useful abilities.' _I edged closer, finding what he was saying interesting, _'The first, is something known as 'Repth', which is when you can "read"-' _He used two small fingers on each of his paws to make the quotations, _'-their physical and mental status. This way you can know what is wounded and where exactly to heal it. You're friend here,' _The Doctor held out a paw towards Sakura, _'Was late in her Transformation, and that has taken a toll on her body and mind. I'm going to try and heal her mind, because her body is already healing at an incredibly fast rate.'_

He looked over at Sakura, quietly thinking to himself so we couldn't hear his thoughts. It was as if there was something he didn't want us to know, and would rather keep it from us.

Scratching his chin and adjusting his glasses, he continued, _'In order to literally read a patient's mind, we use a familiar ability known as 'Telepathy', and this ability is often used in the Hybrid Military and Police Force. The thing about Telepathy is, not only do you get to see everything in their mind, but you also pull out memories that have been tampered with.' _Getting ready to finish his explanation, he intertwined his fingers and pulled them forward, cracking them comfortably, _'What I'm going to use, is a combination of healing and reading, which is knowing as 'MenHepathy'. Not only am I going to try and recover what ever is going on inside her mind, but I am also going to heal it.' _

At the end of his speech, he put his hands on his hips and looked at both us with a sort of adult authority, _'Now if you'll excuse me.' _

Without thinking, we both took the two seats next to the bed. Our anticipation grew as the beaver hopped up on the side of the bed, and walked over to Sakura's pillow. Softly he placed both of his furry little hands on Sakura's forehead, and then closed his eyes.

"Don't let anyone get you down, Sakura. You keep your head up high."

My Father, with his tousled dark brown hair, smiled from above. He preferred the rough, lumber jack look, so his plaid buttoned up cotton shirt went well with his spiky chin. He bent down to kiss my forehead, and I giggled as the texture gently scraped against my skin. Then he wiped away the wet trails of salty tears that covered my cheeks, and under my eyes.

My protector. My guardian.

Was gone.

I'm not sure where I am in this exact moment, but to be honest, it feels like no where. Sort of like when you're trying to fall asleep, and you're annoyingly trapped between dreaming, and waking up. Or when you're stuck between never getting to sleep, and falling deep into it. It's frustrating, because the dream comes over you, but feels much more real than usual.

Slowly it forms in front of your eyes, but behind your eyelids, and if you left your window open in the real world, you can feel the gentle breeze from the outside. This isn't the state I was in about a week ago, no. . .this one was much more peaceful. There isn't any pain, just a lot of confusion swirling with a bit of frustration.

It was incredibly peculiar to not have any memories. . .I don't remember the time my father died, or even questioned why or how it happened. I can't recall my days in kindergarten, first grade, or even the beginning of second grade. And of course, everything beyond that is as murky as muddy water. What's even weirder, is that I never once have taken the time to even care to try to remember any part of my memory that's painfully lost.

I guess I never had a reason, because Mother was always the one to tell me about everything. She had pictures to show of me when I was younger, but none of my Father. She always said it was painful to stay in San Arcos even after he died, but she knew it was better that way. . .

Suddenly, everything in my mind stopped as I felt my thoughts ticking backwards, forcing the barriers of my distant memories to release themselves. Something in my mind was trying to keep me from remembering my real past, and part of my not remembering could have to do with the artificial memories Mother equipped me with. Just how someone tells you a story, and they explain it so many times in your life, you actually begin to believe it.

The answers to my questions seemed to be floating at the tip of my mind, and I tried relentlessly to grab hold of it, but it burned and slipped against my skin like bleach. Desperately, I reached farther, stretching everything I once knew to the very back until-

I laughed and tossed my short pink hair to the side as Daddy finished another one of his childish jokes. He ruffled my the hair on my head with one of his calloused hands, and used the other to push open the door to one of my favorite places.

This is where we went every weekend, and almost every weekday. It was a place of relaxation, jokes, and exercise. This was where I began learning how to manipulate something inside me, something that Daddy said made me special. I often heard all of the older kids whining and complaining when they walked through here, but when I entered, I could feel my blood rushing through my body and my heart racing. _'This is what I live for.' _I always thought.

Here in the colossal gym, our foot steps echoed off the wood floor and bounced across the concrete walls. The usual basketball nets that hung from the ceiling, were somehow pushed up so that they were no longer vertical, but horizontal, and it was still a mystery to me as to how they moved those things.

"So what are we doing today?" I asked with a lot of excitement laced into my words, and looked up at my Dad expectantly.

"Hmm," he stopped in the middle of the gym, putting his hand on his chin as he thought. I giggled at his expression, and he looked down at me innocently and said, "What's so funny?"

I laughed some more, knowing that he already knew what I was going to say, "You look funny."

He gave me a shocked expression and replied with, "That's not very nice."

"I'm sorry." I continued to giggle and eventually he joined me. We walked a little more towards the end of the gym where large, archery targets were set up, both of us lost in thought of not knowing what to do. Although, I felt like Dad already had something planned, which made me a bit suspicious.

He looked around and said, "What have we not worked on yet?"

I mimicked his stance where he placed his hand on his chin, and finally jumped up - trying to seem like the thought hadn't even crossed my mind - and said, "You haven't let me use a bow yet!"

He laughed nervously, "I don't think you're old enough. . ."

"But I'm seven years old!" I held up my fingers to show the importance of the number.

For a moment, I thought he was actually going to consider it when he smiled and said, "And tomorrow you turn eight!" My heart began racing as I saw the indecision in his eyes, until finally he pulled out a few kunai from the pouch on the side of his leg, and held them up, "How about we work on your throwing skills?"

I pouted, but sighed in defeat and mumbled, "Fine."

Gently, he tossed the kunai into the air, and I held out my hand. Normally, any other human being would look completely stupid doing such a thing, because the sharp knives would fall directly on to, and maybe even through, their palm. Being a not-so-normal human being, the weapons stopped a few inches above my palm, and floated there for a few seconds before turning and dropping harmlessly into my grasp.

I gazed up at my Dad with a witty smile, and he returned it as we made our way a few feet from the targets. When I was finally lined up in front of one, he bent his knees so he could come down to my height level and whisper, "First, focus on what you want, and remember that you can accomplish anything as long as you have your mind set. Remember to believe, and always tell yourself that no matter what, no matter how impossible the circumstance, you can do it." I turned and smiled at him as he stood up and walked a few feet away, "Go ahead."

I nodded my head, turning back towards the target and focusing everything I had in me on that one point. My mind cleared, and thoughts about everything else subsided. There was only me, my weapon, and the end goal. Slowly I breathed in, and out, closing my eyes as I held out one of the kunai on my extended right hand. Before I knew it, the cold metal was no longer in contact with my skin, but levitating effortlessly above it.

Keeping my eyes closed, I told something inside me to lift the weapon higher. It obeyed, and as graceful as a cobra, I pulled my arm in front of me, coiling it against my face. The kunai followed the movement of my palm, and without anymore hesitation, I shot my arm out in front of me and twisted my hand so that it spun in the air while it was soaring toward the target.

With a smile, I opened my eyes to find that it hit dead center, _'As always.' _I turned triumphantly to Dad, and tried to sound unamused and bored as I said, "I've already got this down perfectly! Now can I try the bow?"

Strangely, he wasn't wearing his same smile that disguised his serious yet humorous personality, instead he appeared concerned. "Dad?" I asked tentatively, but the only response I got from him was him holding his finger to his lips.

"Hear that?" He asked, and I tried to extend my hearing, just as he taught me to do, but I wasn't an adult Hybrid like he was, I was still _uniquely _Unborn.

I sighed, and was about to walk over to the target to pick up my kunai, when all of a sudden I heard it. The second the sound entered my ears, I knew what it was that we should be worried about. I stopped dead in my tracks and allowed the high-pitched screams to enter into my mind, and soul.

"Werewolves." My Dad murmured, and I nodded my head. "Come on, we need to get to safety before-" But their cries grew louder, and I could feel my Dad becoming anxious as I too heard the quick, pounding foot steps on the ground outside.

"They're coming, Dad." I took a few steps back as both of our eyes became transfixed on the doors that led us into the gym. "W-What should we do?" I stuttered, trying not to sob and be afraid, and instead clear my mind. But all I could think about was the countless stories I'd been told from the older kids at this school. Flashbacks entered my mind, and I could easily recall all of the high school Hybrids trying to scare _me_, the Professor's daughter, with stories about black fur, stained sharp teeth, and blood red eyes.

I shivered at the memories, recalling that I had always nervously laughed off the images when they first explained them, but now that they were about to become a reality, laughter was but a myth. Quickly, he turned towards me and said, "Sakura, we don't have much time, they'll be here any second-"

"Then let's go!" I cried out, becoming more afraid by the minute.

He shook his head and his brown hair flew from side to side, "If we run, they'll only follow us. Werewolves have an excellent sense of smell, more so than a Hybrid, and I can feel that they already have our scent." His face became rigid as he said, "I know why they're here. They're coming for me."

I paced back and forth, biting my nail and not caring if it looked like total crap by the time I was done with it. "Tenten, you seriously need to chill out and just sit down, you're going to fall through the floor if you keep pacing like that." Kiba whispered, trying to stay quiet for the beaver Doctor.

I turned and glared at Kiba, who was - annoyingly - right. I just needed to take soothing, deep breaths and clear my mind. Finally, I gave myself a small smile, and gently sat down in the chair I'd been in earlier. Just before I was close to relaxing, my phone vibrated in my back pocket.

Quickly I jumped up, giving out a small gasp as Kiba pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against, and said, "What is it? What's wrong?" I took out my phone and waved it in the air sheepishly. He rolled his eyes and went back to his leaning position.

Eagerly I dug my thumb nail under the lid and flipped open my phone, "It's a text from Hinata." I stated.

"What'd she say?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.

"It says that she can't find Tsunade." I frowned at the words, and sighed.

He shrugged, "I don't think it really matters," I looked over at him and he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, "We have a beaver."

I knew he meant it as a joke, but it really wasn't that funny, I mean even he wasn't laughing. I rolled my eyes and continued chewing on my nail. From where I was sitting I could see Sakura perfectly, and she seemed peaceful as she laid there as still as death. I shivered at the thought, and then shook my head of that ridiculous idea.

Just before the intense silence between the four of us grew any stronger, my phone vibrated again, causing me to gasp once more and then sigh in irritation.

"What does it say?" Kiba asked anxiously before I could even open it to read it.

"It says. . .that she went back to the Stadium, and watched the end of the match."

"So what happened?" He moved his hands nervously as he exemplified his anxiety.

"He left." I looked up at him; inside we both knew that Sasuke was getting sick of fighting.

Knowing exactly who I was talking about, Kiba nodded his head and look outside the window that was above Sakura's head, "I don't blame him."

"Yeah, neither do I. . ."

The dog-like teen before me shook his head with an almost wise appearance, as if he were in deep thought about the physics of black holes. . .and actually understood it. "That kid takes so much shit from everyone."

"We should try talking to him sometime."

Kiba laughed and turned to look at me with an amused expression, "Now, let's not go too far." I laughed with him, knowing how much of a jerk that kid can actually be. "I really have tried, and although I feel just a bit sorry for him, the rest of me not feeling sorry is saying, "He's an ass.""

I sighed and scratched my elbow while saying, "I would be too if everyone in the school wanted to kill me. He probably thought you were trying to lure him into something."

"Paranoid bastard." Kiba mumbled, but I knew he meant it in a lighthearted, joking way. Of course if Sasuke were actually here, then. . .that's just another story.

"So," I started, trying to think of something to fill the silent air, "How do you think Sakura's going to do in her classes."

"I dunno," He shrugged, looking back outside the window, "The only thing that really sucks is that she has to start off with freshman classes. Well, only the Hybrid classes of course, but those are easy. . .I'm sure she's a natural."

I laughed lightly and said, "Yeah, maybe more than we think."

"Sakura, we don't have much time, they'll be here any second-"

"Then let's go!" I cried out, becoming more afraid by the minute.

He shook his head and his brown hair flew from side to side, "If we run, they'll only follow us. Werewolves have an excellent sense of smell, more so than a Hybrid, and I can feel that they already have our scent." His face became rigid as he said, "I know why they're here. They're coming for me."

I wanted to scream, "Why do they want you?" but I couldn't find the words in me. All I could think about was how, in any minute, I was going to face my first pack of Werewolves.

Not too long ago, Daddy told me how he helped a Werewolf defend this really important Hybrid against a pack of Hybrid Wolves. Some Werewolves are born with the curse that forces them to change under the moon, but Hybrid Wolves are dark Werewolves that have stolen a Hybrid's Soul. The combination of having a Werewolf Soul, and Hybrid Soul, makes them Hybrid Wolves. They can morph any time they want to, just like a Hybrid, but they're still unstable.

Daddy says that there are good Werewolves out there, and the man he helped was one of them. That man had a necklace called an 'Endymion', which held the power of the Moon in it. As long as he kept the necklace on, he could transform whenever he wanted to. When I asked Dad why the Hybrid Wolves didn't just do that, he said it's because the necklace makes Werewolves weak. Stealing a Hybrid's Soul brings more power to the taker, and they gain whatever years the Soul had left. No matter what, my Daddy told me, he's always going to think of Hybrid Wolves as Werewolves. To him, they're no different.

He had hoped that because of how good and wise one was, that the others would follow after, but unfortunately, the good of one hasn't changed anyone. Except for my father of course, and the man that they saved. Sadly though, the good werewolf sacrificed himself to save the other man's life, and now my father has total respect for him and their kind. But that still wouldn't stop him from killing one.

Their cries and howls became deafening and almost mechanical, throwing me out of my thoughts. It was a combination between a screech, and two pieces of metal colliding into one another. "Sakura, I need you to hide behind these bleachers, and stay very, very quiet. Do you hear me?"

"But Dad-" I plead.

"Please, don't ask questions." He turned and looked me square in the eye, and the intensity of the emotions rushing through them froze us in time.

Slowly, I pulled myself away from his gaze, and ran toward the bleachers in the gym that were meant for viewing basketball games. I'd been back there before, but usually I would end up getting yelled at about how dangerous it was. This time, the danger of the bleachers was as minimal as an annoying nat.

There was a small slit in between the compressed bleachers in which I could look out and see what was going on. When he knew that I was completely out of view, my father quickly ran to a door, opened it, and took out a bow and a pack of arrows. The reason why I'd made such a big deal about the bow, was because that was the trademark in our family, passed along through my Mother's side. Along with some other families I can't remember, we've always been the ones to hold the bow close to our Hybrid hearts.

I watched in anticipated nervousness as my father readied his weapon, placing them around his body so that the arrows were in a convenient pouch right behind him. The bow that he picked was one of the most powerful ones we have here at this school, and the most dangerous. This one was known as the Phoenix, because once you allowed chakra to flow into it, it would light on fire, but never become damaged or damage the user.

'_He's planning on killing them.'_ I thought to myself. The reason why I knew this, is because that's one of the only ways to kill a Hybrid Wolf. Which always made me wonder how that good werewolf died. . .

Suddenly everything stopped, and the howling and stomping outside could no longer be heard. All of a sudden, the doors to the gym threw themselves open, and a gust of wind blew in from the night air. Leaves danced in naïve curiosity, and I could see a few trees outside moving from side to side. It was almost as if the night was cheering them on. . .the moon their encore.

I pulled myself closer to the bleachers, trying to stay concealed but also get a better view through the small crack. There were seven of them, all males I presume, and only five of them were in their human form. When they're like that, it's difficult to tell which ones are Hybrids or Hybrid Wolves, but it's very easy to tell which ones are the Werewolves. Although, you could easily see that they were _all_ dangerous, because of their fierce appearances.

They walked forward, staying close to each other. Four of them had pitch black hair, but the two large Wolves in the back had russet, almost red hair, and the one in the very front (who appeared to be the oldest) had almost brown hair; although it was difficult to decipher.

The next two had black hair, and dark cloths over their mouths, as well as gloves, and long, plain and raggedy robes. The two in front of them, seemed a lot younger than the rest. One looked to be as young as a high school student, with long black hair tied back into a ponytail, while the other was very young, probably around my age, and didn't seem right with the others.

His appearance was much less frightening, way too childlike to be a scary Werewolf, and actually seemed frightened himself. The others though, especially the leader, kept their heads held high.

"It's nice to see you again, Sol." The leader raised his hand to stop the others from following him, and walked up to my dad with a demonically playful smile on his face. He stopped a few feet away from him, looked him up and down and said, "Well, aren't you happy to see me too?"

"Go to hell." My dad muttered, and pulled off his bow, lighting it on fire.

The leader laughed in an almost graceful way, and crossed his arms comfortably, "Now, I know you don't mean that-"

"Why are you here?" Daddy interrupted him, glaring at the man intensely.

The wolf man smiled, and raised one of his hands to motion for the others to come to him, "We have unfinished business, of course." All of them, except for the youngest, followed the command of his hand, and walked all around my dad, surrounding him.

I noticed my Dad clench his fists in anger, and the bow's flames rose higher, "Unfinished business? You've already killed your own Father, who died protecting Hashirama Senju!" I saw him take a deep breath, and tried to calm his voice as he said, "I'm sure you've taken what you wanted from both of them. . .I have nothing that you want, leave."

It seemed as though he was getting ready to fight them, but the Wolves didn't appear anxious to kill. The leader sighed, "Actually, you _do_ have something I want." He smiled and my Dad glared, "As a Haruno, you were born with the affinity for War. Being a powerful Hybrid as you are – and don't try to be modest with me – I can see the extraordinary potential you hold inside." He smirked, "In order for me to become successfully powerful and build my own army of Hybrids, I first need to obtain every ability known to this gifted world."

Suddenly my Dad appeared to have enough of all the nonsense, so he lifted his bow and swiftly shot five arrows from it. For a moment, the leader appeared almost nervous, but he quickly raised his arm and pushed them to the side using his chakra. Quietly he adjusted himself, standing straight up and smirking at my Dad, "Getting anxious, aren't we?"

Before I could blink, the leader snapped his fingers and chains shot from the two men with the cloths over their mouths. They held out their arms, chains extended from them, and on the other end the chains wrapped around my Father's wrists. _'Oh, no!'_ I covered my mouth, knowing that if they knew I was there, there was no telling what they would do. So I stayed quiet, just as Daddy told me to.

The leader lightly chuckled as he sauntered closer to the front of my Dad. The two that had the chains backed farther away from him, pulling them tighter so he couldn't move. His bow fell to the floor, the fire no longer lit on the precious wood.

The two large Wolves with the russet hair stood on each side of my Dad, making sure not to touch the chain. Finally, the last sidekick to take his place was the teen, who stood behind my Dad. Together they created a sort of diamond with my Father in the middle. _'What are they doing?'_

All four of them extended their arms out on each side; their palms facing up. I continued to stare wide-eyed as a blue and white light glowed against all of their chests, including Daddy's. After a while, the light was more pronounced on the leader's and my Dad's, and they began clenching their teeth in pain.

Suddenly the light on my Dad's chest was almost like a sphere coming out of him, and a small trail of blood trickled against the side of his mouth. A bridge between their chests was formed, and it seemed like lightening was shooting back and forth between them, as they both groaned in pain. Soon it became so intense, that Daddy began screaming. It was too much, so I put my palms over my ears and tried to keep the horrific sound out.

Unfortunately his screaming persisted, and tears fell down the corners of my eyes, flooding my cheeks. I tried to keep my eyes closed, but just as the sound kept coming into my ears, the image played against my eyelids. It was so bad, that eventually I couldn't take it anymore.

I was still young, and if this was the moment that I was going to die, then so be it. I wasn't going to live the rest of my life knowing that I didn't at least try to save my Father's life, as I watched him die in front of me. So I jumped out from behind the bleachers, ran towards the ritual, and screamed, "Stop!"

Luckily they did, and they all turned and looked at me in frustration. The lightening, spheres, and intense glowing stopped, and now their attention was on me. _'What am I doing. . ." _I thought numbly. Although in my mind I felt like I couldn't do anything, in my heart and deep in my veins I knew that something could be done.

I stood like a ball of fury, both of my fists tight, digging my nails deep into my palms. My teeth were clenched, and my face and eyes were red from crying. My heart pounded against my chest, and my lungs never quit expanding and deflating as I thought I might hyperventilate.

"How cute." The leader smiled, taking a few steps toward me, "We get to meet the Archer's daughter. Aren't we lucky?"

"Stay away from me!" I screamed again, surprising myself at the intensity of my voice. Still, I took a few steps back every time he took one forward.

Swiftly, not sure knowing what I was doing, I threw my arm out and used my chakra to pull my Dad's bow toward me. Then, I used my other palm to pull a few arrows toward me, putting them in the correct place against the string, just as I'd seen my Father do.

The leader seemed a bit surprised, and I smirked as I yelled something in another language, still not sure as to what I was doing, but knowing that it felt right. The bow seemed to come alive, and blazing wings of fire shot out from each side of the bow. Gracefully, a head of a bird lifted up and called out into the gym, echoing against the walls.

"Forget about Sol, get the girl!" Stupefied, the two russet Werewolves began charging toward me. Instantly, an arrow spit from the bird's mouth, and soared through one of their throats. The Werewolf tried to turn his head uncomfortably to bite it out with his teeth, but it was useless, I could already smell the fire burning his flesh.

Wildly, I shot more from the bow, not sure where I was aiming, but just enough so they would stay away. The burned Werewolf ignored his wound, and charged at me with the other Werewolf. Before they could get me, the Phoenix flew towards them, catching their fur on fire. Together they screamed in agony, rubbing their eyes to get the ashes out of them.

Feeling more confident, I shot a few more arrows, and they penetrated the large bodies. Although, my lack of training on the bow was evident, and the two with cloths over their mouths took the chance to wrap the chains around _my_ wrists. Just as my Dad, the bow fell helplessly to the ground, but instead of the fire simply going out, the Phoenix spiraled up with the fire and out the open door.

My screams and cries collided with the mechanical ones of the dying Werewolves, as I tried to pull away from the chains, but it felt like they were weakening me. The leader chuckled and said, "I guess I should've thought that an Archer's daughter would be strong, especially since he's special."

He then walked toward me and I could see them creating that same diamond around me. Instead of the two Werewolves on each side of me, the men with the chains took their places. They couldn't raise both of their hands, but it seemed like they were just fine with raising one. "Your Hybrid Soul would be much better to take, especially since you're still so young yet so powerful. Yes, most definitely full of potential." A dark smirk covered his lips, and the whole room became black and white as I let out a silent scream.

Slowly I looked down, and I could see that same small sphere protruding from me, as it did from my Father. The pain was so intensely riveting, that I was speechless. I looked up, and saw the man in front of me clenching his teeth, but my mouth was open in surprise and shock. Energy flowed between the two of us, and blue lightening shot through that same bridge.

As if I had simply put my finger in a light socket, it was suddenly pulled out. In front of me was my Father, _'You're alive!' _I wanted to scream, but the world was spinning, and my life was draining. _'Stay awake, stay awake. . .'_ I tried to tell myself, but the thoughts wouldn't come.

I needed to sleep, I needed to fall back and sleep forever.

With my eyes still slightly open, and the world spinning in black and white, I saw my Dad fly to the side as he had broken the connection between me and that man.

Then I closed my eyes completely, and died.

When I came back to life, I had no idea where I was. Every part of my body burned, and I could feel a migraine building at the back of my skull. There were many voices in the room, some that weren't familiar at all, and others that I felt were supposed to be familiar.

"Sakura!" An older man's voice screamed in desperation and agony. He was calling to me, and I wanted to call back to him, to tell this stranger that I was okay, but nothing seemed to be working except my thoughts and internal tears.

I tried to move, I really did try, but I couldn't. A sick laughter echoed in the room, and made me all the more afraid and confused. I felt as if my heart should be pounding vigorously from the fear exemplifying inside me, but all the power it could manifest came in small pumps.

'_Move, arms! Move!' _I thought, and strained my muscles, but they wouldn't obey.

Loud and fast stomps picked up speed, and I realized the owner of those feet were coming toward me, _'No! Stay away from me!' _I tried to scream, but I was nothing but a useless vegetable. I held no expression on my face, and I searched the depths of my mind for some sort of memory, but there was nothing.

"It's going to be okay." The voice was soft, and young like mine. The owner of the voice put his hands under my shoulders and lifted me up, holding me close against his chest. The warmth from the young boy was comforting, and I wanted to curl up against it and fall asleep, but nothing seemed to be working.

"Please," I heard the older man's voice again, "Don't let them get her. Promise me you'll take care of her." The man's voice crackled and choked, and I could no longer hear him breathing. I had heard the uncertainty in what he said, and that he didn't quite trust the boy, but his desperation drowned that out.

A sharp pain etched it's way into my chest, into the depths of my heart, and I wanted to put my hand there to comfort it in some way but I couldn't. I knew if the man was a complete stranger, I wouldn't have felt so heartbroken, but somehow I knew he was something more.

Silent tears streamed from my eyes. . .

The room I was in became quiet, and all I could hear was the racing heartbeat in the young boy's chest. I could feel him breathing in and out, as his chest rose up and down, and his voice rumbled as he said, "I promise."

"Son, let's go." The older man with the scary laugh called, and I think he was talking to the boy next to me. "Don't touch her. . .we have most of what we want, we can finish her off some other time."

Slowly I heard retreating footsteps, but also some coming towards us, "It would be most wise to listen to Father." A voice low and dangerous mumbled.

Now the boy next to me was shaking, and continued as the older man yelled, "The Phoenix told Sarutobi we're here, we need to leave _now_!"

Just before they could leave, a set of doors flew open far away, and then another, and another. Suddenly there were so many feet hustling around, and angry voices, that it became too much. It was even too much for the boy, and I felt a single tear fall from his eye and onto my cheek. I wished desperately that I could hug him back, and tell him what he told me, but I was so weak and almost thoughtless that I couldn't do anything. . .not even cry!

Then a pair of feet ran toward us quickly, and I could feel their adult shadow loom over us, "Is she alright?" The woman kindly asked the boy.

"I'm not sure." The boy said quietly, almost hesitantly.

"Let me see her-"

"No." He said quickly, holding me tighter. "My. . .Father killed hers, and I promised him I'd take care of her." The woman stayed quiet as the boy silently sobbed, "I don't want to be like him, I never wanted any of this to happen!"

The woman must've put her hand on his shoulder, because I heard him gasp and loosen his grip on my shoulders. "You can stay here, with us, and watch over here if you'd like."

It seemed as though he was considering it, and finally completely let go of me as she pulled me into her arms.

Swiftly oxygen found its way into my chest, and I gasped at the intense coolness against my throat. I began breathing smoothly now, allowing my heart to take its time. The world around me stopped spinning, and came to a soft halt as all of the colors occupied their correct spaces. I had no idea where I was, but a bright light loomed over my face and forced me to squint my eyes.

Quickly someone turned the light away from my face, and I tried to adjust my eyes on the window that was just across the room. Slowly my sight returned, but unfortunately I saw two glowing red eyes on the other side. Close to hyperventilating, I sat up straight and began screaming as I pulled the covers closer to myself, as if they would protect me from the monster outside. _'A monster that killed my Dad!'_

All of the emotions I'd never experienced because I couldn't remember them, washed over me at once, and I found myself screaming, crying, and throwing the pillows behind me in anger.

"Whoa, Sakura! Sakura, calm down!"

The voice was unfamiliar, and I took it as an enemy, so I lifted my fist and flew it towards the voice. Another person in the room started laughing, and the sound of it slowly became familiar. I stopped and looked around the room, white sterile beds were lined against the walls, and a beaver was sitting on the stool next to my bed.

"Who are you?" I asked quickly.

Instead of answering me (that sounds stupid) he turned and looked over at a girl next to me. As if translating "beaver" the girl quickly said, "This is Doctor Biba." She extended an arm to show that she was talking about the beaver.

I looked at the girl for a moment, "Tenten?"

She smiled and said, "Yup, that's me."

Then I turned to the person I'd hit, and realized that it was Kiba, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

He was holding his right eye, which was beginning to swell a little, and smiled as he waved his hand around and said, "Don't worry about, I shouldn't have been standing so close."

I allowed myself to giggle for a moment, but Tenten chuckled as she mumbled, "Moron."

I smiled at both of them, completely forgetting about the window, and finally said, "So uhm. . .why am I here?"

"Do you remember being at the Stadium?"

I tilted my head to the side, and could remember a little bit, "Yeah, but it's a little foggy."

"Well," She began, using her hands to making everything seem more dramatic, "A Senior, Socorro, challenged one of our Juniors, Sasuke." I nodded my head, trying not to show that I flinched at his name, "And then stuff happened, and you fainted."

She rushed the words, but I still understood what she said, "I fainted?"

"Yeah," Kiba finally removed his hand from his eye, "So I carried you over here to the Infirmary. . .the beaver didn't even do anything except look into your mind. . ." He mumbled, irritated.

"He did _what_?" I turned at looked a Doctor Biba, who was currently chewing on his arm. He stopped and looked at me, and shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. Internally I pouted, but also felt a bit exposed and embarrassed as I just knew that he knew. . .everything.

"So are you feeling alright?"

I turned and looked at Tenten, concern filling her eyes. I looked down at myself, and smiled as I said, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm alright."

They both sighed and said, "Good! Because we're tired!"

I laughed and hopped out of the bed, stumbling for a moment, but then catching myself as I sheepishly smiled. "The Doc says to try and not exert yourself too much." Tenten stifled a giggle.

"Yeah, yeah." I mumbled with a smile, and walked out of the room and down a hall, which seemed to be the right way out. "Are you guys coming or what?" I called out, and I heard both of them laugh as they jogged to catch up with me.

It didn't take too long to get back to the dorms. Kiba insisted on carrying me, but after the fourth time of me saying no, Tenten finally hit him. I'm pretty sure I'll end up doing that in a couple of weeks, but for now I'll just have to play the sweet, shy girl, _'Yeah, right!'_

On the walk back, I tried really hard not to think about all those conjured up memories. If they were real, then I'm going to have to pay closer attention to that Sasuke guy, but also stay far away from him. Where ever his Dad might be, I don't want to be near, because that'll just end up causing trouble I don't want to stir up. . ._again_.

Although, if it was just a bad dream, then hopefully it'll stay away. Either way, I'm just going to have to try and enjoy my Junior year at my new school. So far, it's been. . .interesting.

When we finally made it to the dorms, Tenten and I parted from Kiba, and went to our appropriate buildings. We decided to meet up early in the morning and hit the café, student lounge thing around seven twenty, _'Mmm. . .coffee.'_

Once Tenten and I made it to our room on the "D floor", we dropped dead on our beds. "I need a shower. . ." Tenten mumbled, her face squished against the pillow, forcing her mouth into a weird "O" shape.

"Me too." I mumbled back, grabbing my bunny and squeezing him against my neck.

We looked at each for a few minutes and at the same time said, "You go first!"

Then we began laughing hysterically, and finally I gave in and decided to go. Which I'm glad I did, because I hadn't realized a shower was just what I needed! The warm water and familiar smell of my grapefruit body wash and Garnier Fructis hair (which I still can't figure out the smell of), comforted my nerves that I hadn't realized were jumbled.

When I got out of the shower, I took the liberty to stop and look at myself in the mirror. _'Ew.'_ I thought, pulling the bottom of my eyes down, _'I desperately need sleep.' _I thought lazily as I threw on my bra, panties, and pajamas, not really caring that I hadn't completely dried off. I then roughly dried my hair with the towel, but decided against having a wet pillow, or even blow drying it, and instead just wrapped it around my head.

When I came out of the bathroom, Tenten was already sound asleep and softly snoring. Since I had to stay up to take a shower, it was only fair that she had to also. In order to settle the score, I took one of her pillows off the edge of her bed, and threw it at her sleeping beauty head.

A simple groan came from her, and I shrugged my shoulders and decided to say in the morning, "Hey! I _tried_ to wake you up! And you could've gone first, it's not like I forced myself into the bathroom!" _'Yup, sounds good.' _

With that in mind, I fell onto my bed once again, wrapping myself under the warm covers and placing my towel head in the right spot. Right before I drifted to sleep, I sat up straight, looking for my bunny, and laid straight back down when I found him. Sighing in contentment, I pushed him against my neck and face, and breathed in the scent of the one who gave him to me. . .my Father.

Thoughts, emotions, and even patched up memories flooded back to me. Questions swirled around my head, _'Should I stay away from Sasuke? Will he hurt me?'_, _'Why did Mom lie about everything?'_, _'Will that man be back to get me like he said he would?'_, _'What exactly is going on inside me?'_.

My head began to pound and I groaned in misery, _'Why is this happening to me?'_ For a moment, I wanted to blame my Father and how he actually helped out a Werewolf! But then again. . .he did it to save his best friend, but unfortunately there was no one there to save _him_.

I sighed, too tired to cry, and too tired of crying to get angry. I was just plain tired, and I should just deal with one question at a time. For right now, I'll live out my life the best that I can, and if that "dream" happens to be real, then well, I'm going to have to just face the crap when it happens.

* * *

**R&R!(:**


	7. Those Who Speak

'North Academy for Hybrids'

By: GaaraFox

Chapter VII: _Those Who Speak_

* * *

The most horrendous sound in the _world_ is when an alarm clock sounds. It's that repetitive high-pitched beep that goes on and on, until you have to physically move and turn it off. It's an absolute torture device, designed to make you miserable, and start your morning with that nasty headache that enjoys making cobwebs in your brain, _'Here's just a little something for you to remember me by.'_, _'Oh golly-gee, thanks. I sure do appreciate it!' _

I groaned into my pillow, and looked at the clock that was on the other side of Tenten's bed. Her head was already under the pillow, and her hand was out and about, searching for that blasted device. What makes it even worse is that in the mornings you're way too tired to just get up and turn it off yourself; you want someone else to do it! It's just like going to bed with the light on, and you're bickering with the other person in the room because _you _don't want to turn the light off. No sir, that would mean actually getting up, walking all the way over to the light switch, turning it off, and then walking all the way back to the bed. That requires _a lot_ of energy, something that your body (especially mine) doesn't have in the mornings.

Even if you do somehow find the energy to perform either task, something incredibly annoying happens: you just can't seem to get into that same comfortable position you were in before you had to get up! Then your headache grows and you can't go to sleep, so you end up staying up and watching infomercials! Although in this situation you don't get the luxury of at least trying to go back to sleep, instead, you have to actually get up. _'Sigh.'_

As you can see, I am _not_ a morning person.

I sat up, and glared at the enemy. I knew my hair was enjoying the freedom of being messy, and sticking up in every direction, because the towel I had wrapped around my head was half-way stuck to my head. _'And hanging from my _horn_ but we'll just ignore that bit of information.'_

A little too violently, I threw the towel onto the floor, and yanked the covers off of me. Still glaring at that demonic thing, I stomped around Tenten's bed, went straight up to it, and began pressing a bunch of buttons until it stopped. Smiling in satisfaction, yet fuming with annoyance I mumbled, "Tenten, you forgot to take a shower." Then I walked over to my new dresser, and began rummaging around for clothes to wear.

At the corner of my eye, I saw her figure shoot out from under the pillow, "What?" She said in confusion and alarm, and turned to look at me. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw my new roommate supporting herself with her hands on her bed, and her back arched. She had been sleeping on her stomach, probably to avoid any hair crisis, but since she had practically crammed her pillow on top of her head, it ended up messing up her buns that she forgot to take out. Now her hair was much worse than mine, and at least mine was clean, _'Haha,' _I smiled at her wickedly.

"How come you didn't wake me up after you got out of the shower?" She practically screamed.

I laughed for a moment, remembering what I told myself I was going to say in the morning if she complained about me "not waking her up". I stopped the laughter and put on a serious face, and completely turned around with my hands on my hips and said, "Hey! I tried to wake you up! And you could've gone first, it's not like I forced myself into the bathroom!"

She glared at me, and then sighed, "Yeah, you're right. . ." I playfully rolled my eyes and then turned back around, still looking for a stupid outfit to wear. Then suddenly Tenten jumped out of the bed, and ran into the bathroom, "I bet I can take one super fast!"

I crossed my arms and yelled, "You better not make me late on my first day!"

"I promise I won't! I'll be super duper fast!" She yelled back, and quickly closed the bathroom door and turned the water on.

I growled, feeling uncomfortable with having to wait for her to shower, and glanced at the clock. It was precisely seven o'clock, even though the alarm went off at six forty-five, _'We have twenty minutes before we meet Kiba down at the Lounge.' _I sighed, and finally decided that I really didn't care what I wore, it wasn't going to hide the fact that I was devastatingly nervous. Although it did matter what my hair looked like, because right now it was a complete mess (as mentioned before).

Using the mirror on my bedside table, I parted my hair a little over to the side, and brushed out all of the crazy ends that actually brought tears to my eyes because they were so tangled. When I was finished, I felt a little bit better about the used-to-be rat's nest, and decided to go look for something to wear.

When I finally found my style for the first day, I decided to go ahead and put some stuff in my messenger bag. To my surprise, all of my old notebooks, binders and writing utensils were in the bottom drawer of my dresser, _'Thank goodness, I was dreading having to buy new stuff.' _

Everything was there, my nifty pencil case and cheap sharpener, and all of the cheesy notes that were written on my main binder that I had used for everything. I picked it up, and looked at the front, "Sakura's Binder" it said, and had a bunch of little signatures with things like, "I love Sakura", "Nate was here", "Amanda is cooler than-" with an arrow pointing to my name.

It was those little things that poked tiny fingers at my heart, and really made me want to throw myself into tears. But that wasn't going to help, and reminiscing on the past really wasn't going to get me through the future. "The past only reforms in the future, when your thoughts continue to linger on what 'could've been' instead of what 'could be'." I mumbled to myself a quote that I'd come up with long ago.

Shaking my head, I packed a few notebooks into my messenger bag. Some of them I decided to tear out the first few pages that were written on, and others I didn't need to since they hadn't been used yet. I also grabbed a few folders, and a black sharpie that had been in my pencil bag. There was even that packet of loose leaf paper that I'd purchased at the beginning of the school year, _'College ruled . . . my favorite.' _I smiled a nerdy smile.

Once I was done and thoroughly satisfied, I made my bed out of boredom. Then I plopped myself down on it, and began staring at nothing. Out of curiosity I glanced at my clock, and found that barely ten minutes had gone by, _'Oh my gosh, you've got to be kidding me!' _Since I knew nothing was going to call back and say, "Yes, I'm kidding you!" I decided to take a look at my schedule again, _'Okay, so my first class is "Intro. To Hybridology" . . . I believe that's my Hybrid science course. And it's in the . . . Primary building." _Of course.

It's not that I didn't enjoy the idea of being stuck in a classroom full of freshman that may or may not get on my nerves, it's just that I was accustomed to being in advanced courses, _'Maybe if I do extra good in all of my easy classes, they'll put me in harder ones?' _I smiled at the idea (that nerdy smile again), and thought about ways that I could become helpful and teacher's pet-like. I scrunched my nose when I thought about it a little more, and decided that even though I loved school, there were some ways that you can go way too far when it comes to being a teacher's pet.

Pulling me out of my absurd thoughts, Tenten burst through the bathroom door with a towel wrapped around her body. Steam rolled out, and seemed to hiss as it hit the cool air of our bedroom. Quickly she ran and grabbed some clothes from her drawer, and then ran back inside the bathroom before I could even blink. Feeling a little caught off guard, I looked at the clock, and found that it was seven twelve. I groaned again, hating how slow time goes by when you're waiting for someone to get out of the bathroom.

But like an erratic lightening storm, Tenten jump out of the bathroom again, except this time she was fully dressed, "How much time do I have?" She looked at me expectantly, but I was too tired to really comprehend her energy. Before I could even think to tell her the time, she looked at the digital clock herself, and jumped back into the bathroom yelling, "Good! I have time to blow dry my hair!"

Feeling a sudden realization come over me I yelled back, "Hurry up! I need to brush my teeth!"

Popping her head out again she said, "Well you can do that while I'm blowing drying my hair!"

Pulling off my messenger bag, I ran into the bathroom and we erratically did what we needed to do. The mirror was long enough for both of us to see ourselves without having to shove or push, so we finished quickly. "Are you done now?" I asked her when she put her hair up securely into two buns (which I really didn't understand why, because her hair was actually very beautiful).

"Yes," She sighed, "Are you?"

I did a sort of laugh-sigh back, and said, "Yes, now let's go! I'm about to go insane." She laughed and grabbed her bag, meeting me at the door but leading me to the elevator, and into the main lobby.

"This way," She said, walking away from the elevator and front doors, and farther into the lobby.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously, realizing that I actually hadn't ever taken the chance to look _around_ the lobby.

"We're going right over there," She pointed as she began walking toward some wooden double doors. The doors had intricate designs placed on them, just like the ones that the front doors to the school had, except these were a lot smaller, and not as overwhelming. There were pictures of many different animals all in their own shapes, sizes, and species and formed around the frame of the door. "These are the doors that you go through to get to the Café." She said it as if it were obvious.

She looked over at me and opened the doors, smiling when she stepped aside to let me go first. I thanked her for holding the door, and became excited when I saw all of the different students walking around. The scent of coffee tickled my nose, wrapping itself warmly around my nerves, merrily comforting me. It reminded me of one of my favorite places in the whole world: Barnes & Noble. It sounds extremely nerdy, yes, but the moment where I'm most happy, is when I'm in a bookstore with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate, _'Although lately I've acquired a taste for coffee.' _I blame Amanda.

"Cool, isn't it? It's like our own personal Starbucks." She laughed, and walked over to an area with couches that seemed very plush and comfortable. The whole room really was like our own personal Starbucks, because there was even a little cash register counter where students were standing in line and ordering different blends and mixes of coffee. There was even a freezer and shelves full of those delicious little foods, like bagels, muffins, croissants, and other things with foreign names.

The environment was incredibly peaceful and nonchalant, probably because everyone was still tired and trying to wake up. It seemed like just a bunch of high school teens hanging out at a Café, and chilling before school started. Except the only difference between these teens and the teens I used to hang out with, is that they have a few features that distinguish them from the rest. To my surprise, I really didn't notice it, and up until now I completely forgot about the horn on the side of my head. Luckily it isn't even that large, and goes unnoticed most of the time.

Thinking it might've disappeared I raised my hand and felt the side of my head, sighing when I found that it was still there. I wasn't sighing because I was disappointed or in relief, I was just sighing at the idea that I just might be going insane, _'Who forgets that they have a horn?' _But then again, I didn't notice that other teens in the room had tails, large ears, and sometimes excessive hair. And even though some Hybrids don't have Hybrid Features, you can still _feel_ that they're a Hybrid.

"Sakura, come sit down with us!" Pulling me out of my thoughts, I turned to my left to find Tenten sitting on a couch with a few other students. The wall to the left held a few bay windows that allowed you to see outside. Through the windows you could see students already heading over to the courtyard. Next to the wall were two couches perpendicular to the windows and another couch parallel, creating a square of couches; in the middle there was a wooden coffee table with coasters and coffee cups on it.

While I was walking toward the group I noticed that I was a lot less nervous than earlier, _'I guess I was just making this a bigger deal than it really is.' _In my new happy state, I made my way to Tenten, and fell onto the soft couch next to her.

"Alright everyone, this is Sakura!" Tenten extended both of her hands out towards me as if she were showing everyone a new expensive toy. There were six people in the circle, two of which I already knew, and the other four I didn't. "Alright, you already know Kiba and Hinata," She pointed at them. Hinata mumbled a sweet, "Good morning.", and Kiba just simply smiled and waved. "Then there's Shikamaru," She extended her hand, and he nodded his head, "Shino . . . he's kind of quiet," She whispered the last part to me so that only I heard, "And finally there's Rikart and Ghoul."

Rikart was the only one that stood up and walked over to me with his hand extended saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura." I smiled back while laughing lightly at his English accent, and shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, Rikart." He had an irresistibly cute smile, with two shallow dimples on each side of his face. His hair was a light brown and could only be described as organized chaos, the kind where someone could just wake up in the morning and it looks perfect. Even his eyes were a gorgeous gold that I'd never seen before, and yet seemed familiar.

Ghoul on the other hand had jet black hair, and would have seemed just as attractive if it hadn't been for his nervous nature. He kept fiddling with his fingers and biting his nails as if he was waiting for someone or something to get him.

Tenten noticed me noticed at him, "Don't worry about him, he's actually pretty cool when you get to know him. Right now he's shy and reserved . . . he'll warm up to you eventually." She smiled.

"So where are you from?" Rikart asked curiously, picking up the coffee in front of him and sipping it while awaiting my answer.

The others seemed a little interested too, so I made eye contact with everyone as I spoke, and not just Rikart, "I'm from San Arcos High School, it's just a few hours away from here." _'Though it _felt_ more than a few.'_

He nodded his head and said, "I believe there's a student here that said he was from San Arcos as well, but I can't really think of his name right now. . ."

"I believe you're thinking of Joseph." Shikamaru added without opening his eyes.

Ghoul became even more visibly nervous at the sound of Joseph's name.

"Ah yes," Rikart smiled enthusiastically, "That's the one . . . loony little fellow if you ask me. Hope you don't turn out the same." He laughed while eyeing me suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. I recall a boy named Joseph as being one of the first in my generation to go through the Transformation, but I never knew what happened to him.

Tenten was the one to answer for me, "I remember him coming here the summer after eighth grade for Freshman Orientation and being completely-"

"-loony." Rikart finished her sentence with his dimply smile.

Tenten gave him a hard stare and said, "No, not _loony_." She mimicked his accent and I laughed, "He was just . . . unstable . . . something about him already being bi-polar and the Transformation not really helping much."

I nodded my head, "So what happened to him?"

"He got sent to the Crazy House." Kiba answered matter-of-fact, nodding his head in confirmation.

Tenten rolled her eyes and said, "Don't listen to either of them. In all honesty, no one knows, so don't even think about." Then she threw her hands up and said, "Why are we even talking about him?"

Rikart shrugged his shoulders and said innocently, "I don't know, you started it."

Tenten gave a shocked expression and before she could respond Kiba added, "Yeah Tenten, stop trying to blame other people for your weird habits."

"_My_ weird habits? At least I don't chew fleas out of my fur." She countered.

Kiba gasped and said, "Hey! You know darn well I take my medicine everyday!"

"Really now?" Rikart joined in again, "Is that why you're scratching your arm?"

Tenten and I stifled a laugh as we watched Kiba panic and say, "It's not fleas, it's just a tic I have."

Tenten tried not to laugh as she said, "Oh so now you have ticks too?"

He glared, "You know what I mean! Jerks . . ."

She stuck her tongue out at him and he did the same. I rolled my eyes at their high level of maturity, but couldn't help but laugh along with them. It made me wonder if one day, a few months from now, I'll be bickering with Tenten and Kiba over silly matters.

"So Sakura," Rikart began as everyone started calming down. I turned my attention to him again, "How long have you lived in San Arcos?" He asked his question with another sip of his coffee.

Normally I would answer by saying, _"Since the age of three." _But for some strange reason the question seemed to stop me from saying anything at all. I could feel something in my mind ticking, waiting for me to find the real answer to his question . . . if only I knew what it was.

It felt as if bolts of lightning were electrocuting my mind. I wasn't in any sort of pain, but I wasn't in any relief either. My new friends began staring at me in concern and curiosity as I stared dumbstruck at my hands folded in my lap.

"Sakura . . ?" Tenten began, "Are you alright?"

As quickly as I'd fallen into absentmindedness, I fell out. I gently shook my head, not sure as to what came over me, and cleared my throat just to be rid of the awkward tension between my friends and I.

"For as long as I can remember." I mumbled to Rikart, knowing that, that was both the honest truth and a lie. "I think I'm going to get something to drink." I smiled, "I'll be right back." With that I slowly got up and walked over to the front counter in the middle of the Café. They didn't say anything about me as I stood up and walked away, but I could feel that they were all thinking the same thing. I silently thanked them for not asking because I honestly wouldn't have an answer.

It was strange, and I couldn't quite explain it, but I knew that in time I would begin to understand all of these weird things happening to me-

"Hey!" Someone yelled next to me and caused me to jump out of my thoughts (and skin). I placed my hand on my heart as it beat quickly, trying to breathe and calm it down, and pushed aside every bit of annoyance in me in order to the person next to me with a friendly smile instead of an angry frown. "I'm Naruto."

I finally turned and looked at the boy next to me, and tried not to show my surprise as I realized it was the same boy from yesterday. I held in a laugh as I remembered Kiba's story about how Naruto and another boy _'Neji . . ?'_ got into a fight and the teacher ended up hitting both of them in the head with a thick Algebra II book.

He was holding his hand out in a polite manner and I happily took at and shook his hand, "I'm Sakura." I said in a surprisingly cheery tone. It seemed that somehow all of my annoyance and anger melted away.

"So . . . you're the one everyone keeps saying was late in the Transformation, eh?" He asked nonchalantly, with an almost shy smile.

"Yup, that's me- wait a minute." I stopped, looked at him seriously now, "_Everyone_ knows about me?"

Naruto laughed and the sound made my heart skip, "Of course!" He winked, "News travels fast."

"Well . . ." The idea of _everyone_ knowing about me being here didn't really do much to help my nerves, "What are they saying?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and said, "Not much, just that you're "_the one_" that everyone's been waiting for, and _blah, blah, blah_." He used his hand to mimic someone's mouth, "Oh, and that you're one heck of a fighter-" He smirked, "-and that there are quite a few people that can't wait to challenge you."

As Naruto ordered his coffee I stared at the absolutely nothing with my mouth wide open. This was not good. All I wanted was to lay low for a little while and maybe, _just maybe_, get into a few fights (that sounds terrible) and simply survive junior year. Now I'm not only epically failing at lying low, but I'm also the talk of the school? _'Ugh!' _

"Sakura? Sakura? Are you alright?" Naruto began waving his hand in front of me but I couldn't see it now that my face was in both of my hands.

"What can I get for you today?" The girl behind the counter asked cheerier than the atmosphere called for.

I sighed and lifted my head up from my hands and mumbled, "Hot chocolate."

"That will be . . . 3 HP." She smiled, apparently waiting for me to give her something.

I eyed her suspiciously and said, "How exactly do I pay for something around here?"

The girl's nice attitude quickly fell away as she seemed to be enveloped in a blanket of annoyance, "With your Hybrid I.D."

It seemed like she had to stop herself from saying _duh_, but that didn't stop her eyes from saying it, "And where exactly do I get, said I.D.?" I raised one eyebrow in fake curiosity, only hoping to annoy her some more.

She pouted and before she could answer Naruto placed his I.D. on the counter and said, "Don't worry, I got this." He smiled at me and as I opened my mouth to protest he shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's no big deal, I have plenty of HP." Then he winked again and I wanted to smack him for being so charming.

When he was finished paying, the girl handed me my hot chocolate rather rudely and Naruto and I had to stifle our laughs.

"That's Bethany the Brute." He said once we were a good distance from the counter, "She's . . . insane. Happy one minute, angry the next and all around bitch." He smiled and the harsh word surprised me, but at the same time didn't bother me. "She's also one of Ino's ex-sidekicks."

"_Ex_-sidekick?" I smiled at how dumb that sounded and took a sip of my wonderfully chocolaty hot chocolate.

He smiled and said, "Yeah, it's like she's got this mind controlling ability." He moved his fingers as if he were trying to read someone's mind, "She finds a few girls who have nothing else better to do but worship her, and then she _snatches them_." He said suddenly, catching me off guard and wondering if he was joking or being serious. "You'll know her when you see her." He sighed.

"I think I've already met her." He eyed me and took a sip of his coffee, "Long blonde hair? Outfit that shows her stomach? Super cocky?"

He nodded in conferment, "Yeah, that's her. Stay far away from her she's got it out for you."

When I heard that I choked on my hot chocolate and yelled, "What?"

Before he could answer Kiba yelled, "Hey Naruto! Code K!" Kiba began waving his arms around and Naruto seemed to panic a little inside.

"Uhh- Hey, we'll finish this later." He smiled at me and before I knew it he was outside running as fast as I'd seen anyone run before. Well . . . that was before I'd seen a Hybrid run.

Completely confused and left with even more questions than before, I walked back over to my group of friends in their square by the windows. By now they completely forgot about what happened earlier, and so had I. It was something I didn't feel was important enough to bring up, and before they could even think of it I asked, "What's Code K?"

Tenten and Rikart were too busy laughing to answer me but Kiba had a serious expression on his face. His features darkened as he muttered, "Kima." His antics only made Tenten and Rikart laugh harder and cause me to become more confused.

Once Tenten could catch her breath she managed to say, "Kima is this girl that's been _completely _obsessed with Naruto since freshman year!"

"Y-Yeah!" Rikart added, "She _literally_ stalks him and has even put herself in most of Naruto's classes!"

I began to laugh a little as I slowly found the idea hilarious and was wondering if I'd ever have the wonderful opportunity to meet her. Pulling me from my thoughts I unconsciously glanced at the wall and noticed it was 8:15 A.M., which meant that we had only five minutes before class started.

Quickly I grabbed my messenger bag and threw it over my head, "Come on Tenten! We only have five minutes before class starts and I seriously _do not_ want to be late!"

Suddenly caught off guard, the rest of the gang glanced at the clock as well and stood up quickly, fumbling with their drinks and backpacks. Before everyone else, Tenten and I jumped out the door and ran as fast as we could up the path that led to the courtyard. I became nervous at the fact that there weren't many other students walking around and I knew that most of them were in class by now. _'Crap, crap, crap!' _I thought as I struggled to keep up with Tenten.

Finally we reached the courtyard and Tenten asked, "What's your first class?"

"Intro to Hybridology." I panted.

"Alright, just go in and it's the first door in the second hallway on your left. Got that?" Before I could answer she stopped me and said, "Good luck!" Then she smiled and ran into another building a little farther up ahead.

I stood there for a moment in confusion, not sure what to do. She was gone by the time it registered in my mind that I was on my own. Sighing in defeat I entered the primary building and jogged to the second hallway on the left, gently opening the first door. Noise escaped into the quiet hallway, causing me to jump in surprise.

Apprehensively, I stepped into the boisterous freshman class. I sighed in relief as I found that the teacher wasn't there yet, and I was even one minute early. Most of the students stopped talking to stare at me as I walked inside. The size of the classroom was slightly larger than the classrooms we had at San Arcos High School, and was most certainly a lot cleaner. All of the posters on the walls were perfectly organized as they held information about . . . science stuff.

All of the seats from the second row to the back of the classroom were taken, so I finally gave in and took a seat in the very front. I set my messenger bag on the ground and took out an empty spiral and mechanical pencil, ready to take wonderful notes. _'Yay . . . Hopefully this class, or any other Hybrid class for that matter, won't be as boring as the classes at San Arcos.'_

"Hey there," A voice from behind me called.

I'd been hoping to avoid conversation, especially the part where I had to explain that I'm a sixteen year old with freshman courses. Oh wait, that's because I was late in my Transformation, which also makes me a freak. Sighing I turned around and put on my best smile possible and said, "Hey."

"I'm Konohamaru," The young boy smiled, hoping that I would be charmed by his advances, "And you are . . ?"

"Sakura," I smiled back, though not as charming.

"So . . . are you new?" He suggested, obviously realizing that I looked older (and taller) than the rest of the students in the classroom.

I nodded my head, "Yeah, I'm new." _'Duh'_

"That's cool," He nodded as well, and sat in silence as if waiting for me to say something else.

I internally rolled my eyes, "I'm actually a junior but I was late-" I sighed in silent annoyance, "in my Transformation." I mumbled the last part.

"Oh okay." Konohamaru said as he finally realized that no, I'm not his age. He cleared his throat in obvious nervousness and said, "Well, if you ever need any help in your new classes, you can always ask me." He grinned, as if suggesting something more than that.

"Right . . . I'll be sure to keep that in mind." On that final note I was on my way to turning back around, but he decided I wanted to continue with the exhilarating conversation.

"And maybe, you know, get to know each other a little better," He ran his hand through his hair as if it were another move used to 'charm-the-ladies', "and get a little closer."

"Yeah," I said enthusiastically. He visually became hopeful until I finished with, "Kind of like brother and sister."

The disappointment on his face was quite evident, but that didn't stop me from finding it absolutely hilarious. Okay so maybe I'm a bit of a jerk, but he's honestly too young for me. Maybe when you're twenty-something it isn't weird to date someone two years younger than you, but right now? It's utterly annoying. _'And I wonder why no one wants to date me, I'm way too picky.' _But sometimes you have to be.

"Oh, uh-" He stopped for a moment, trying to find the right words, and tried to hide his teeth gritting as he said, "Yeah . . . like brother and sister."

"Cool," I smiled sweetly, and patted him on the head. I knew that the head patting was going way too far, but I just couldn't help but find the whole situation funny. It was obvious that he was trying to hide his annoyance, but knew that if he said anything that it would ruin him and I even speaking to one another.

With that finished and done with, I turned back around and jumped when I found a large owl sitting atop a thin perch sticking out of the side of the teacher's desk. My hand quickly found my racing heart, _'Maybe I should just start getingt used to seeing animals around here.' _

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, and tried not to make eye contact with the ample bird. From the corner of my eye I could see the owl watching me closely with its glowing red eyes, but I just kept my focus on my hands in front of me.

"Sakura Haruno?" A woman's voice called to me, and I looked up to find that the owl was gone, and now there was a woman standing in its place. _'Wow that was fast . . . I didn't even see her change.'_

"Uh, yes," I smiled tentatively, "That's me." I raised my hand.

The woman before me was about to respond, but instead picked her head up and glared at the entire class and said, "Quiet down! Class has started!" Scared out of my wits I squeezed my lips together as tight as possible. My new teacher looked down at me with a serene smile and continued with what she was going to say before, "Welcome to North Academy, like it so far?"

I cleared my throat, reminding myself of the kid behind me, and said, "It's uh, it's very interesting . . ." I smiled awkwardly, not sure what else to say.

She laughed but the sound didn't match her booming voice from earlier. Instead, it was surprisingly refreshing and uplifting. She was also quiet beautiful, and didn't look like the boring _old_ teachers at San Arcos. No, this woman was much younger, probably in her mid-thirties. She had gorgeous red eyes and medium length black hair that stuck out in just the right places, and the perfect skin tone to match all of it.

"I'm Kurenai Yuhi, but just call me Kurenai, or if it really bothers me, you can call me Ms. Kurenai. But whatever you do, don't call me Mrs. Yuhi. You can call my mother that, but not me." She pointed out, and I laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind Ms. Kurenai." I smiled and loved how relaxed and chill she was, _'Hopefully all of the teachers will be like this.'_

"Alright class," Ms. Kurenai clapped her hands together, "As you might know by now, we have a new student, Sakura Haruno." She lifted her hand in my direction and I became subconscious as I felt everyone's eyes on my back. "Yes, if you were wondering, she was Late in her Transformation-" _'Ugh' _"-but we won't be discussing that until next semester so try not to get too excited!" The class groaned and she laughed again. "Okay, I want everyone to open their textbooks to Chapter Five and follow along as I read through it."

Everyone obeyed and began shuffling around for textbooks and supplies to take notes. Realizing I didn't have any textbooks at all, I remembered mother talking about how my books had been pre-ordered, _'But where are they?'_

"Sakura, do you have your textbooks yet?" Ms. Kurenai turned to me curiously after writing a few words on the white board.

"No I actually don't," I said unsurely, "Sorry."

"That's fine," She smiled, "You probably need to pick them up from the office, but you can do that later. For now, just use an in-class copy, there should be one under your desk." Then with that same glare (though it was beginning to seem more like a motherly glare than a teacherly one) she turned to the whole class and said, "Everyone else _needs_ to bring their textbooks to class! That is why you have them, to take notes in them and such." She waved off the last part and continued writing on the white board.

Finally I pulled the text book out from underneath my desk. It had many intricate designs on it, and a collage of many different animals. The text spiraled across the front cover as it read, "Intro to Hybridology". I ran my fingers across the lettering, realizing that this book contained many answers to questions I still held. Curiously I opened the cover to read the Table of Contents. My curiosity grew as I read titles such as: Transformation, Anatomy of the Aura, Extensions, Ecosystems, Genetics, and other titles I couldn't properly pronounce or had any idea of what they meant.

'_Hmm . . . Chapter Five: Chakra? That sounds incredibly familiar . . . I'm pretty sure Ino told me about Chakra yesterday . . . and so did Tenten, during Shikamaru's fight, but I'm still not absolutely sure what it is. Oh well, guess I'll find out.' _

"Chakra." Ms. Kurenai stated with a serious expression as she turned to face the class, "Can anyone tell me what chakra is?"

"Oh!" A girl in the back raised her hand enthusiastically.

Ms. Kurenai ignored her, "Anyone?" The girl raised her arm higher, "Anyone except Moegi." The girl pulled her arm down and pouted.

Finally a boy in the middle of the class raised his hand tentatively and when Ms. Kurenai called on him he said, "Chakra is . . ." The boy fumbled with his hands nervously, ". . . basically a center of spiritual energy in the body."

"Correct," Ms. Kurenai smiled and the boy released the sigh he was holding, "Chakra is simply a center of spiritual energy in the body, but does anyone know how many?"

This time a girl in the back answered, "There are seven main chakra centers, but the body has hundreds."

"Yes exactly!" Ms. Kurenai nodded and then continued with her teaching, "There are hundreds of chakra points in our bodies, and these chakra points collect energy from several different levels of vibrations, including color, that are utilized in various parts of the body."

Quickly I wrote down everything she was saying in my new spiral, trying to get down as much detail as possible.

"Sakura," My head popped up when I heard my name being called, "Could you please read the third paragraph?"

I nodded my head and looked down at my book and read, "Chakra is a Sanskrit word which means wheel. A chakra is a wheel-like spinning vortex that whirls in a circular motion forming a vacuum in the center that draws in anything it encounters on its particular vibratory level."

I looked up when I was finished reading and Ms. Kurenai nodded her head and tapped her chin, "What do you think this means?"

I wasn't sure if she was asking me, the entire class, or no one at all, but I felt compelled to answer it when she finally glanced in my direction, "I uh . . . I think it means that we pull in everything around us. . ?"

"Perfect!" I jumped at Ms. Kurenai's sudden enthusiasm, "That's the exact answer I was looking for!" Then she walked up to the white board and began making a list, "Can anyone tell me what sort of information Chakra may pull in?"

"Environmental," A kid in the back yelled, and she wrote that down. Then another student said, "Color," and another said, "Radio waves".

After Ms. Kurenai wrote these down she turned to me and I became nervous again. It felt as if she were trying to put the spotlight on the new student. "Can you think of anything, Sakura?"

'_Crap, crap, crap! What are things that we pull in? Influences, right? So what influences us?' _Quickly I tried to search for an answer, and I was tongue-tied until I blurted, "Auras."

Ms. Kurenai jumped and said, "Very good," And then turned to write that on the board as well. "So right now we have hundreds of chakras pulling in information all the time, and this information is what affects us daily. This is why someone's mood often can affect your mood, because your chakras are pulling in their aura." Then she pulled out a poster with the outline of a body on it, and had many seven different colors corresponding to seven different parts of the body. "Does anyone know what these are and what they affect?"

The same girl who answered earlier said, "Those are the seven main chakra centers, and they can affect us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually."

"Yes, that is correct," She pointed to the chart, "The seven main chakra centers are aligned along our spinal column, as you can see here in this diagram, and each of the seven chakra centers have their own name, color, and purpose." Ms. Kurenai finally glanced at the clock and quickly said, "These next two weeks we will be learning about each of the seven chakra centers: what they offer us, how we can physically tell if one is imbalanced, and what we can do to stimulate it."

Suddenly all of the students in the class began putting together their supplies and books and packing everything into their backpacks. I looked around in confusion as Ms. Kurenai tried talking over some non-existent sound. Noticing my lost expression, my Hybridology instructor told me, "You won't be able to hear the bell for a few weeks, so just pack and leave when everyone else does." She smiled, but then turned and started yelling at the class again about reading the rest of Chapter Five.

'_Oh yeah, I remember Tsunade telling me that.'_ A few of the kids were already heading to their next class, so I followed suit by placing the Hybridology textbook under my desk,gathering all of my things together, and following the freshman into the hallway. Many young students occupied the Primary building, and with only five minutes to find my next class, I ended up bumping into a few.

I muttered a few apologies but kept on trudging until I reached a door that said, "Hybrid History I". Sighing in relief that I wasn't late, I walked into the classroom and was reluctant to find that no, Konohamaru did not have this class, and that yes, the Hybrid History instructor was in human form.

"Ah! You must be Sakura Haruno." The man before me had a welcoming smile on his face, and seemed to be the type of teacher that didn't stop helping a student until he or she accomplished what was needed to be done.

"Yes, I am, and you must be my Hybrid History instructor." I smiled warmly.

He put a hand on his stomach as he laughed, and I appreciated it even if it might've been a pity laugh for my lame attempt at humor, "My name is Asuma Sarutobi, but you can just call me Asuma."

'_Sounds familiar.' _"What about Mr. Asuma?" I suggested.

Asuma thought about it for a moment and then said, "Nah, Asuma will do just fine." He smiled and then added, "Class will be starting in a little bit, just take a seat anywhere, and if you need a textbook there are class copies underneath your desk."

"Okay, thanks." I smiled and then looked around the room to find somewhere to sit. Finally I found a seat in the second row (luckily not the first this time) next to a girl with long redish-orange hair. The girl eyed me for a moment with her head resting in her palm, but then continued what she had been writing.

Just like the class before, I pulled all of the necessary supplies out of my messenger bag and placed them on my desk. Next I pulled the textbook out from under me and analyzed it as if it held the map to some buried treasure. The front cover had crest of arms and flag designs I'd never seen before, and different portraits of people I didn't recognize. The book held all of the designs in boxes like a checkered board, while the top had "National Geographic" lettering that spelled, "Hybrid History I".

Curiously I opened the book to the Table of Contents and once again found that I didn't recognize most of the subjects placed before me. There were titles to chapters that talk about prejudice and freedom, influential writers and artists, and heroes and tyrants. But there were two that caught my attention: Chapter 3 – Crest of Arms, and Chapter 4 – Academies & Universities.

The chapter on Crest of Arms reminded me of the statue, placed at the entrance of the school, which I'd seen just yesterday. _'There were four Crest of Arms on it, perhaps this chapter will help me figure out what they mean?'_

"Hey," The girl next to me pulled me from my thoughts, and I quickly looked up to see what she wanted, "You're that new girl, Sakura, right?" She spoke nonchalantly, with her eyelids half closed, as if she'd just taken a drag from a cigarette.

"Yeah, that's me." I pretended to smile. _'Sheesh, Naruto wasn't kidding when he said that _everyone_ knows me here.' _

The girls scuffed and said, "Good luck." And then went back to her writing.

I stared at her for a moment, slightly afraid and slightly annoyed. _'What the hell was that supposed to mean?'_ But before I could ask her, Asuma began speaking.

"Alright, everyone quiet down, and open your books to Chapter 3. As you all know we've been learning a lot from Chapter 2 – Symbolism, so we're going to take those symbols and apply them to Crest of Arms. So today we will start off by continuing our discussion on the four Hybrid Academies' Crest of Arms."

'_Wow . . . what a coincidence.' _Suddenly I was alert and completely enthralled with what Asuma was saying. Quickly I opened my book to Chapter 3, and readied my pencil to take notes. Asuma began writing and drawing, and I copied every little detail. Fortunately art is one of my best skills, otherwise I wouldn't be able to recognize what I'd drawn, especially all of the fine details.

"Let's begin with N.A.H." He spoke, and pointed to the Crest of Arms he'd professionally drawn on the white board, "Sakura," He called on me, catching me off guard and putting me in the same spotlight as Ms. Kurenai, "Just go ahead and tell me what is in this Crest of Arms."

"Well," I started, "There's a snarling wolf head in the center of the Crest, and an eagle with outstretched wings in the top left, which seem to be shadowing over the wolf as if protecting him. Then at the top right corner there is a dove which seems to be in the shape of a moon, and at the bottom there are thorny vines. There's also a few feathers falling from the eagle, onto the vines, and there's also the word "FERUS" at the very bottom."

"Very good," He smiled, "You have an eye for detail."

Part of me thought it was weird for him to compliment me on simply describing a picture, but another part of me took pride in what he said. Then there was the other part of me that told me to stop thinking so much and pay attention.

"Now let's look at size. What can size tell us?" Asuma asked.

A boy in the back raised his hand and when he was called on he answered, "Size and proportion can give more meaning to the actual symbols. Such as the Eagle being the largest symbol in the Crest shows us that the Eagle is the most important."

"Correct," He said, "I hope everyone's taking notes because this _will_ be on your next exam." He added as a side note, and then went on to explain more about the N.A.H.'s Crest, "If you've seen the other Academy crest's, the Eagle is present in every single one. Why is this?"

Asuma randomly pointed to a girl in the back, causing her to gasp in surprise, but she quickly pulled together and said, "The Eagle is seen as a protective spirit, and a sort of guardian against evil."

"That's right," He smiled, and I could see the gleam in his eye for catching her when she wasn't paying attention, "So what symbolizes the evil in this Crest?"

"The thorny vines," A boy called out.

"Yes, that is correct." Then he stopped for a moment and looked at the Crest thoughtfully. Something seemed to trouble him for a moment, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, "Does anyone know where the wolf comes from?"

Everyone was quiet and unsure, or at least it seemed that way to me. Asuma opened his mouth to speak but before he said anything the girl with the redish-orange hair said smartly, "Those damned werewolves." She smirked.

I kept my mouth shut tight as I watched in anticipation with what Asuma was going to do. At first I thought he was going to kick her out of the classroom and send her to the office, but instead he said, "That's actually correct, Tayuya," A few of the students in the class began whispering, and very seriously he continued, "Shodai is the founder of this Academy but dedicated the school to Gautama Uchiha, a werewolf. This is why we have wolf statues and symbols, because Gautama sacrificed himself for Shodai. On a side note, Gautama was also very wise and caring, and was not the stereotypical werewolf we see now-"

Before Asuma could even finish with what he was saying, many of the students in the class began talking over one another as they fought and argued their opinions on werewolves. As for myself, I felt as if I should be with the majority of the school: against werewolves. But for some reason there was a part of me that believed Asuma when he said Gautama was wise and caring.

"Isn't Gautama that Sasuke kid's grandfather?" A boy from the back yelled.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard his name out loud. It was still difficult for me to admit that he was real, that all of this was real, and that what happened last night wasn't a dream. I saw Sasuke go from man, to werewolf before my eyes.

"Everyone! Quiet!" Asuma finally yelled, "We will _not_ talk about other people disrespectfully while in my classroom! And we will _not_ talk about another student's relative ties!" Finally the class was quiet and almost everyone in the room had their head down in shame, and the only sound I could hear was my heart beating in my chest. It was obvious that the boy in the back got his answer, that Gautama Uchiha was Sasuke's grandfather. I felt like I just learned another valuable piece of information about my past, though I wasn't sure how to connect it just yet.

"Now," Asuma continued, trying to change the subject, "We discussed the Eagle, Wolf, and vines, what else is there? Ah yes, the dove in the shape of a moon; can anyone tell me what the dove represents?"

For a moment everyone in the classroom was quiet, but after a while, a girl shyly raised her hand and answered, "The dove is often a symbol for innocence, gentleness, purity, and bringer of peace."

Asuma has finally calmed down and was now fully focused on the Crest, "That's correct, but does anyone know why this dove is shaped like the moon?" When no one answered, he said, "The moon is a gift to us, but a curse to werewolves. It is foretold in ancient legend that in the form of innocence a dove will bring peace to all living creatures." As he spoke these words he looked me straight in the eye, making me extremely nervous and uncomfortable, "Only the moon bares influence to the night."

As we sat in silence and confusion, I could feel that the entire class was screaming in their thoughts, _'What the _hell_ is he talking about?'_ But before I knew it, class was over. And the only reason why I knew this was because everyone began packing up their books and supplies. As this was being done, no one said a single word.

Finally directing his eyes away from mine, Asuma pulled me out of his trance and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Quickly I fumbled around with my supplies and placed the 'Hybrid History I' book back under my desk.

"Before you leave," Asuma spoke as he turned back toward the white board, "I would just like to say that the eagle feathers falling from the eagle are . . . debatable. No one is quite sure as to what they specifically represent, but it has been said that they may represent healing." Everyone stilled and waited for him to say just those few words that would free us, "Alright, you can go now."

Everyone hurried out the door, including myself, and once again the halls were filled with young teens pushing their way past one another to get to class. My third class took me a little longer to find, and it felt like I had checked every single classroom by the time I'd found Latin I. Though searching every class did make me realize that the classes were separate by subject, but I was just thankful that this was the last freshman class I would have today.

My first reaction when I entered the Latin I classroom, was that it _felt_ like a Latin classroom. How could it _feel_ that way, you ask? It seemed very bland, as if it was decorated by a Latin professor 2,000 years ago. There was even a chalkboard, and upon that chalkboard were words written in cursive. Of course I didn't recognize the words, and didn't even try to pronounce them.

Having arrived barely on time, just like Intro to Hybridology, I had to take a seat in the very front. Once again I pulled out all of my supplies, and already knowing that there was a textbook underneath my desk, I reached for it and placed it in front of me. Just like the classroom, the textbook even _looked_ like a Latin textbook. It was old and the edges were fringed, and as I opened the cover and flipped through the first few pages, they crinkled. Though on a positive note it did have that old book smell that was somehow attractive, _'Guess that makes me a nerd too.' _I sighed and smiled.

"Konohamaru, how many times do I have to tell you? No morphing in the primary building!" A man with small, circular glasses walked in the room dragged the very boy he was yelling at behind him. "Good thing I caught you before it happened, otherwise you'd be dealing with a very angry Tsunade! Now take a seat before I decide to give you more than detention!" The man let go of Konohamaru, and stomped to his desk.

The boy huffed and crossed his arms, and as he searched for a desk, I silently hoped that he wouldn't notice me, _'Yeah, not notice the girl with the pink hair . . . oh yeah, _and_ the horn!'_ Of course he finally saw me and jumped at the opportunity to sit next to the empty desk next to me.

"Hey Sakura!" He smiled enthusiastically, and all of the stubbornness he held five seconds ago was completely gone.

"Hey," I said back, "He doesn't look very happy." I pointed out.

Konohamaru laughed and then said, "Ebisu?" Then he changed his voice to a whisper when said teacher gave him a look, "Yeah, he never is."

"Konohamaru stop talking!" The Latin instructor yelled.

He did as he was told, but tried not to laugh when I whispered, "I can see what you mean."

"Now class, please quiet down," I directed my attention to Ebisu. He pushed up his glasses with his first two fingers and continued speaking, "I would like everyone to open their textbooks to Chapter I-" Before he could finish speaking the entire class groaned and he waved his hands in the air, as if thinking the gesture would get them to be quiet, "Open your books!"

Everyone, including myself, yanked open our books to Chapter I. Glancing at the first two pages, I could see that it was an Introduction to the language. Unlike the other two textbooks, this one didn't have any pictures and the text was extremely small. The only color in it was black, which belonged to the text itself, and everything else just seemed old and decrepit.

"Most of you may know by now that we have a new student, Sakura," He gestured in my direction, "And this is why I would like to use this opportunity to go over a few points and facts in the Latin language."

Ebisu turned his back to the classroom and began writing words on the board. Already I could hear people in the room whispering, and students telling one another to pass along a note. Quickly the teacher turned back around and looked suspiciously around the classroom, but soon brushed it off.

"Now," He began, still eying the class every once and a while, "Latin, as a form of expression, is a precise and beautiful language. It was used by many scholars, thinkers, and philosophers for hundreds of years, and was the language of Caesar, Cicero, and Vergil. It was also read and written by men such as Isaac Newton and Thomas Jefferson who even thought and spoke in ways organized by Latin language-"

"Mr. Ebisu?" A girl in the back of the classroom raised her hand.

He seemed very annoyed for a moment for being interrupted, but nonetheless he said, "Yes?"

"In Asuma's class we're learning about the Academy's Crest of Arms, and one ours there's the word 'ferus', what does that mean?"

Ebisu smiled, obviously appreciating the fact that the question she asked was Latin related, "I'm glad you asked that! The word 'ferus' is actually Latin for _fierce_ and is used to describe the overall conception of werewolves-"

"How do you say werewolf in Latin?" A boy asked curiously.

The Latin instructor had been interrupted again, but this time he didn't care so much. He walked to the chalkboard and spoke as he wrote, "In Latin, werewolf is: versipellis. It is pronounced ver-sigh-pell-us. There are two root words that make up this word, and these are: versus and pellis. Versus meaning _turned_, and pellis meaning _skin_, which gives the word the meaning "shape-changing" or simply put, "werewolf"-"

"But aren't Hybrids shape-changers too?" The girl from earlier asked.

This time a different boy answered her question, "Don't be stupid, everyone knows Hybrids aren't shape-changers, we're chakra manipulators. Werewolves literally shape-change, that's why it hurts for them to change, and not us. _Duh_." When he was finished he rolled his eyes. The girl then glared and stuck her tongue out at the boy, reminding me of Tenten and Kiba.

"Okay, everyone settle down now-"

The boy who asked about werewolf in Latin asked again, "How do you say wolf in Latin?" I had to stifle a laugh as Ebisu's frustration became more and more evident.

Ebisu crossed his arms and said, "Everyone should know by now that the Latin word for wolf is _lupus_."

"Oh, like in Harry Potter!" A girl yelled excitedly.

"Oh my gosh I know who you're talking about, Professor Lupus!" Another girl screamed.

Then a boy added, "So does that mean that his name is actually Professor Wolf?"

"Hey you're right," Another boy added, "How in the world did they not see that?"

Then the first boy mimicked an older man's voice, "Hey guys, let's hire this man who has scars on his face and has the word wolf in his name, that's not suspicious at all!"

Then a girl suddenly yelled, "Oh! Was that the guy that turned into a werewolf?" The whole class turned to yelled, "_Duh!_"

Suddenly someone from the back of the class yelled, "You idiots, his name was Remus Lupin, not Lupus!"

Everyone then went, "Oh . . ." But soon continued on with their conversation.

Then the girl who had said Lupus said, "How the heck did I get Lupus confused with Lupin?" I stifled a laugh.

"Has anyone else noticed that every single Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher they hire end up being completely screwed up? They should just get rid of the class completely." Finally I lost track with who was saying what and just decided to listen to the very entertaining conversation.

"Class, be quiet now." Ebisu muttered, but no one heard him.

"Or change the name or something."

The guy who mimicked the older man's voice from before did it again and said, "Hey guys, let's change the name of Defense Against the Dark Arts to 'Please Don't Teach This Class If You're Insane'."

"Or a werewolf." Someone added.

"Everyone stop talking!" Ebisu screamed, catching all of the students off guard, though most of them were trying hard not to laugh. The Latin instructor finally sighed and patted his forehead with a handkerchief he had in his pocket, "Now, let's continue with the lesson today."

Then he turned back to the chalkboard and students began whispering again, and were even now arguing about more Harry Potter stuff. Konohamaru then leaned toward me and whispered, "Most of the kids in here aren't completely serious, we just make up random topics to distract Ebisu. Plus it's entertaining." He added with a small laugh.

I lightly laughed as well and said, "Yeah, I noticed."

"Now," Ebisu turned around and eyed us with that suspicious expression of his again before saying, "Sixty percent of English vocabulary is derived from Latin, and not just English, there are many other languages that branch off of Latin, such as: French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Romanian, just to name a few. Through learning the root language of the world, it is said that you may become logical, observant, organized, analytical, and wise. Which is why-"

Before Ebisu could finish, he was interrupted by everyone getting up and talking, and putting their things together. He sighed in defeat and said, "Look over Chapter One! We will be going over it some more tomorrow!" The whole class groaned in unison and he yelled, "No whining!"

With that, students began leaving class. As I put my supplies back, I realized that I hadn't taken any notes. I made a mental note to get my textbooks and look over Chapter One, and take notes on my own time. When I pulled my messenger bag back over my head, my stomach growled. Glancing at the clock at the back of the classroom it read: 11:05. _'I'm pretty sure it's time for lunch-'_

Before I could check my schedule Konohamaru answered my question by saying, "Hey, it's time for lunch, I'll walk with you." He smiled and I internally rolled my eyes.

Still I smiled and said, "Sure, show me the way."

He smiled in return and we walked out of the classroom, and into the hallway. Not all of the students had first lunch, but I was hoping that despite my freshman classes, I still had lunch with Tenten, Hinata, and Kiba. Konohamaru walked in a comfortable silence as my thoughts twirled over my first three classes, and how I couldn't wait to get to my other classes with other juniors.

'_Lunch first,' _I thought as my stomach rumbled again, and I'd just realized that the last time I'd eaten was yesterday on my way to this school. _'I guess all of the excitement blocked out my hunger.' _

When we reached the courtyard the sun hit my eyes with its glowing ferocity and I quickly tried to blink away my sudden blindness. "Sakura!" Someone yelled and I couldn't tell who it was because of the stupid sun.

Suddenly I was lifted off the ground and being spun around in circles, "Put me down! Put me down!" I shouted, feeling confused and vulnerable.

The voice laughed and finally I realized it was Kiba, "Okay, okay!" He put me back down and I gave him a small glare (a small one because I didn't know him well enough to give him a big one . . . and yes . . . glares come in sizes).

"Sakura, _please_ tell Kiba to stop passing me notes in class!" Tenten asked me, but was looking at Kiba.

"I think this is my que to leave," Konohamaru whispered and then added, "See you in class tomorrow." He smiled, and I waved as he walked off. But then suddenly I was pulled back into the Tenten and Kiba crisis.

"Do you see what I have to put up with?" Kiba pointed out, "I try to be nice and make conversation during class, and she gets mad at me? Tell her that doesn't make sense!" He too asked me to tell the other something, and yet he was looking at Tenten.

"Tell dog breath that _I'm_ the one who always gets caught with the note!"

"Tell bun head that she should be more careful!"

"Guys!" I shouted and they both looked at me surprised, "Can we please just get something to eat?"

"Yes, that sounds like a fantastic idea," Then she glared at Kiba when she hooked her arm with mine and said, "Let's go Sakura."

After we took a few steps I stopped her and said, "Kiba's coming too."

She sighed in defeat and said, "Fine."

Merry as usual, Kiba skipped up to us with a big grin on his face, and together we walked to the Cafeteria. After a few minutes of casual silence I finally said, "So is there anything I should know about the Cafeteria?"

I had meant it as a joke but then Tenten answered with, "Yes, actually there is." _'Great.'_ "We have Cafeteria A, and Cafeteria B, and you can go to either one, but I'm sure once you go inside each you'll figure out which one has your favorite foods." I wasn't too sure what she meant by that but I was positive I would find out.

Then Kiba added, "You can also eat in either one, but there's a little courtyard separating the two, and we usually eat there." I nodded my head, and enjoyed the idea of eating outside. It was, after all, a beautiful day.

Finally we reached a building that said "Cafeteria A" above the double doors leading inside. Tenten and Kiba walked in first, and finally when I walked in I was overwhelmed by a horrific smell. Quickly I clamped down on my nose in disgust. My two new friends turned around and laughed when they saw my expression, and all I could do was try not to breathe.

Kiba inhaled and then exhaled and said, "Mmm, doesn't it smell great in here?"

"Sure does!" Tenten breathed in the air as well, and I continued to stare at them in repulsion.

"What do you think, Sakura?" Kiba smiled, knowing very well what I was thinking.

I kept my hand clamped down on my nose, which caused my voice to come out all nasaly when I said, "This place smells absolutely wretched!" They continued to laugh and I searched the cafeteria for a bathroom, just in case I had throw-up.

"Come on, let's go get in line." Kiba laughed as we walked to the end of the line of one station. There were many different stations set up with different types of food, and with what food, I wasn't sure. All I knew was that my appetite had vanished entirely. _'What is it with this school making me lose my appetite?'_

As we moved up in line, Tenten and Kiba each grabbed a clean tray from the neatly stacked pile. When we got close enough for me to see the "food", I was completely horrified. There were many selections of different types of meat, ranging from beef, pork, and chicken, to lamb, rabbit, and any other used-to-be-alive animal.

My hands were now covering my mouth in shock as I watched the lunch ladies behind the counter take out frozen packs of meat, and place then before the students. Everyone talked casually as they picked out what they wanted to eat that oh-so-normal evening, and still I stood in shock. Not only did this somehow seem illegal, it was also completely inhumane! Here were teenagers eating uncooked, raw meat as if it _were_ cooked!

Suddenly becoming overwhelmed by the sights and smells, I ran to that bathroom I'd seen earlier and got rid of the hot chocolate I'd drank this morning. Good thing I hadn't eaten breakfast, otherwise it would have been even worse. After I rinsed my mouth out I stood in front of the mirror, not at all looking forward to going back in there.

Quickly I put a paper towel over my nose and mouth and walked through the cafeteria, and into the courtyard that separated the Cafeteria A and B. Once I was safely outside in the beautiful sun, I pulled my hands down from my face and let out the breath I'd been holding. I breathed in and out, calming my queasy body. Seeing packaged meat at the supermarket was one thing, but seeing it exposed in all its bloody glory was another.

Finally Tenten and Kiba came outside with the "food" and I tried not to look at their trays as we found a picnic table to sit at. "Are you alright Sakura?" Tenten was the first to speak as she used a fork and a knife to cut her lunch into bite sized pieces.

I forced my eyes to focus on their faces and said, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Happens to almost everyone when they first walk in there, takes a little while to get used to." Kiba spoke thoughtfully as he crunched down on little brown spheres that looked like cocoa puffs.

Changing the subject and suddenly curious I asked, "What are you eating?"

"Kibbles," He replied and then held one up, "Want some?"

I stuck my tongue out in disgust and said, "Gross, no thanks . . . I had to ask." I said the last part to myself.

Tenten pointed to building behind me and said, "You'll probably like the food in Cafeteria B, more."

"Is there anything in there that was once alive?" I asked, feeling nauseous at the thought of walking back into Cafeteria A.

"Not necessarily." She answered with a coy smile.

My stomach began protesting again, and I sighed and said, "Good enough for me. I'll be right back." Then I stood up and walked over to doors leading inside Cafeteria A. I took a deep breath (holding it in of course) and opened one of the doors. When I got inside I quickly looked around and noticed that there wasn't any meat, anywhere. I let go of the air I was holding, and softly breathed in the cafeteria air, testing it, and found that I actually loved the smell. It was fresh and watery.

Breathing regularly again, I walked over to the main lunch line and grabbed a tray. As the line moved I found that everything I loved was in this cafeteria, such as: broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe and melon. There was also the usual salad bar with all of the various choices of different types of salads. The only odd thing was that there wasn't any dressing, anywhere. It was a little disappointing, but I figured I could eat all that I had, without dressing.

I walked around the cafeteria once, just to see what the other stations had, but there wasn't really anything else that I wanted. One station had grass and wheat, literally, and another had a variety of nuts and dried fruits, while another had different types of grains and different sized sugar cubes. When I was finished with my walk around the cafeteria, I brought my tray to one of the registers with a lunch lady behind it.

"I.D.?" She asked, while holding out her hand in anticipation.

'_Damn.'_ "Uh . . . I don't have one." I smiled innocently and she gave me a stern look, "I'm sorry I'm new here!" I pouted.

She sighed and said, "What's your name?" I told her and she typed it into the computer that was on top of the register. When she was through she said, "Be sure to get one, soon."

"Yes ma'am," I muttered quietly and avoided eye contact with her as I walked out of the cafeteria as fast as I could.

More and more students began filling up the courtyard, enjoying the perfect combination of warm sun and cool breeze. When I finally found Tenten and Kiba, they had already finished their lunch, which I was thankful for. As I sat down at the picnic table they both gave my tray a disgusted look.

I scuffed and said, "Now you know how I felt."

"If we'd known you'd react as badly as you did we wouldn't have brought you in there." Tenten said.

Then before I could speak, Kiba added, "Though you would have had to eventually gone in there. How else would you have known whether or not you were a carnivore?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "I'm a proud omnivore, but that doesn't mean that I like my meat freshly cut . . . literally!"

They both sighed. Suddenly Kiba lifted his nose into the air, sniffing it suspiciously.

"What is it?" Tenten asked, but it seemed that she knew what he was sniffing by the look on both of their faces.

"I smell a bitch." He said, and I face palmed my forehead.

"I should have seen that coming." I said as I chewed a piece of melon.

Tenten glanced around and said worriedly, "How much time do we have?"

"Not enough." Kiba said seriously, and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," When I heard her voice I choked on the melon piece I'd been chewing on, and tried not to make a public display of me struggling to breathe. "The mutt, his toy, and new pet." I looked up at the girl Naruto had told me, just this morning, to avoid. She flipped her blonde ponytail over her shoulder and stood with her arms crossed with two girls standing faithfully on each side of her. They were the same two girls I'd seen with her yesterday.

Kiba raised his nose in disgust, as if her presence had a sour scent, "Ino, go be ugly somewhere else."

She tried not to look insulted but you could still see the annoyance in her eyes. I tried not to laugh but a small cough got out and she quickly turned in my direction, "Find something funny?" She asked snidely.

Without thinking I said, "Yes, hence the part where I was laughing. Ha. Ha. Ha."

Tenten and Kiba looked at me in surprise and I shrugged my shoulders. Ino was still ruffled up, and since Tenten hadn't said anything yet she said, "I see you set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public, is it over now?"

We all smiled up at her and finally she glared at all of us, but then turned to me and growled between her teeth as she said, "Watch your back, Haruno." Then she stomped off with her two sidekicks following closely behind her.

When she was out of site we all busted out laughing and high fived one another, "Is she always like that?" I asked, and then took a bite of my salad.

Tenten shrugged and said, "Yeah, pretty much."

Then Kiba added, "And that's not the first time she's going to threaten you, trust me, it'll happen a lot."

"So watch your back, Haruno." Tenten mimicked Ino using a manly voice, and we all laughed at it.

"Hey you sound just like her." I smiled.

Kiba sighed, "We're already corrupting her." Then he smiled and added, "I like it."

I shook my head as I took another bit of my salad. Deep down I knew I should just shrug off what Ino said, but somehow I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She could just be trying to scare me, but then again, Tsunade did say she was one of the "leading ladies" at the stadium. _'How good of a fighter is she?'_ It troubled me to think of it, but eventually I shook it off and breathed, _'I don't need to worry about that for another three months.'_

We sat in silence for a little while, each enjoying the sun before we had to go back inside the cold school buildings. Finally I finished my lunch, and after I threw it away in a nearby trash bin, we picked up our things and walked out of the cafeteria courtyard.

There were some students heading for the same building we were, while others were heading for other parts of the school, or even the stadium or auditorium. Even though I'd never really taken a look at the auditorium, I knew what it was from the giant letters on the side saying, "AUDITORIUM". It was just one simple way that helped me improve my sense of direction.

"So what's your next class?" Tenten asked curiously as we walked in contentment down a path that lead to one of the school buildings I saw Tenten run in before school started.

"Art III," I said, and my heart skipped as I became excited at what my next class was.

"That's cool," Kiba said. "So you want to be an artist, or something?"

"Maybe," I smiled, "I'm still not sure as to what exactly I want to do . . . I mean, I don't want to end up a starving artist . . . or writer." I muttered more so to myself and after a few seconds of silence I decided to change the topic, "What are your next classes?" I asked them both.

"We both have HJROTC next." Tenten replied with a smirk.

It sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure exactly what it was, "What's that?"

"Hybrid Junior Reserves Officers Training Corps," Tenten recited. "It's basically training for the Hybrid Military, except no one can really talk to us about it until we're seniors."

Then Kiba jumped in, "But we learn _a lot_ about the Hybrid Military and what it's like to have a career in it. We also learn about the other branches of Military as well, but it's rare to get into those if you're a Hybrid." He shrugged his shoulders, "I wouldn't want to anyway."

'_The Hybrid Military . . ?' _I thought, and remembered that Tsunade had told me about that as well. I wondered what it was like, and for a millisecond in time, considered looking into it, but quickly pushed that aside. _'Definitely never _ever_ joining any type of military . . . I'd much rather be a starving artist.'_

"So what made you guys decide that you'd join the Hybrid Military?" I asked.

They shrugged and Tenten said, "It's basically the one place on earth where Hybrids and humans get along, and not care what type of DNA structure anyone has."

"Humans can be in it too?" I asked, and noticed that it still felt weird to say the word 'humans' as if I'd never been one, or was one a few weeks ago.

"Yup," Tenten answered. "Even though it's very difficult, humans can get in . . . we're not afraid to admit that we need all the power we can get."

I nodded and considered it thoughtfully as we entered the first school building. The entire building was just one of five, Kiba had later explained, and you had to go outside in order to get to each one. The one that we were in was more of the elective building, and was in the shape of a giant square; the only hallway was the one that went all the way around.

Students crowded the hallway as we turned the corner, looking for my next class. There were classmates I recognized from the fight yesterday, or even this morning while in the student café. It reminded me of when I thought that I could start a conversation by talking about the fight. Although it might not be necessary, there were already a few people in the hallway that were saying hi to me. _'Not creepy at all.'_ I thought to myself, but still said hi to anyone who said it first.

"Quite popular, aren't you?" Kiba commented when we finally arrived to my classroom.

I sighed, "Yeah, it's pretty awkward . . . I'm sure the world will go back to ignoring me in a few weeks." I said jokingly, but secretly hoped so.

Tenten laughed, "Maybe . . . Well we're going to go to class now, so we'll see you around, okay? Try not to let them get to you."

"I'll try not to." I smiled and waved a small good-bye as they walked down the hall, and then turned the corner to their next class.

When I stepped inside my next class, I couldn't help but breathe in the wonderful scent of imagination. And yes, it does have a scent. That scent is a mixture of fresh clay, wet paint, dry brushes, and plain canvases. It's the wonderful combination of thought, wonder, and creativity brought about by hard effort and perfecting details as each painstaking hour ticks by. And yet you don't feel them slip from you, it's as if you have the entire universe wrapped in your index finger and thumb.

It could be considered blasphemy, feeling as if you're God with that brush or pencil in your grip. Everything you put upon the canvas or paper is of your own mind. And when completed, the piece speaks something you can't use words to express. Of course not everyone sees it this way, it's my personal opinion, but I enjoy the idea of artists doing more than looking at a tree and painting it. It's often difficult to explain, but the overall idea is there.

The room truly was an art classroom, and it wasn't just because of the smell, it was also the many large tables with two tall stools at each that showed a stranger that a lot of space was needed for creativity. There were many cabinets on one side of the room where supplies were most likely stored, and there was also a large table in the front that was covered with stacks of large paper. The entire room wasn't completely organized, but that's what made it an _art_ classroom.

The most magnificent part of the room was the wall I could see right when I walked in. The entire wall was one large window, and the sun's rays were freely falling into the classroom. The glass door next to the window led to a miniature square 'park' that contained an oak tree that loomed over two small wooden benches. There was a tiny pond off to the side, but unfortunately the distance prevented me from seeing if there was anything in it. _'Hopefully there is.'_ I thought in wonder, wanting to now sit in the miniature park.

The art room was beautiful overall and I fell in love with it the second I stepped inside. Many of the students in the class were already in the room, carrying on light conversations. As I took a few more steps inside, I noticed someone very familiar sitting right behind the sun's rays. He was focused on a sketch book before him, pencil in right hand, and was only a few inches away from the light touching him. His left arm rested on the desk before him as he hovered over his workspace. His long black bangs fell over his eyes while all of his concentration was put into what he was drawing.

I swallowed a lump in my throat I hadn't realized had formed, and stood at the side of the classroom as the world suddenly stopped.

* * *

Wow...sorry this took me FOREVER to update...  
To be honest, I've been doing **a lot** of research for this story and it takes a while to get things together, such as: research for how chakra works, facts about latin, and simply organizing the story so I can keep up with it! Haha (:  
No, I have not abandoned this story.. I honestly do think about it often, and am always trying to come up with original lines and situations to put into it to make your reading experience as enjoyable as possible. Thank you 'shockmyworld12' for messaging me about this story and urging me to update.  
I enjoy getting messages 'n' such, so if anyone ever has any questions or suggestions you're welcome to message me..or if you just want to bother me until I update, that's cool too. It's summer! I'm free all the way up until July 26th (NJROTC practice starts), and until then I don't have any excuses as to why I shouldn't be updating! lol :P

Anyway...sorry again for taking **forever**, if I'm not updating, I'm probably researching. I even have this spiral notebook with a bagillion notes in it. There are also links on my profile for all of the websites I've been getting my information from. If you're interested in learning with Sakura, check out those websites. The chakra one is pretty friggin' sweet (:

So..hope you enjoyed this chapter, this is half of what I have written, the other half shall be Chapter 8, and will be coming soon (:  
**R&R please!(: **


	8. Dream of Sleep

'North Academy for Hybrids'

By: GaaraFox

Chapter VIII: _Dream of Sleep_

* * *

I knew I must have looked like an idiot just staring into space, but at that moment I had no idea what to do. _'Should I sit down at an empty desk, or should I sit in the empty seat next to him? Should I avoid him, or introduce myself?' _

I mulled over my thoughts. If I avoided him and sat at an empty desk, or next to someone else, I could prevent myself from looking like more of a scared idiot than I already am right now. My mouth and crazy thoughts would also stay quiet, and it would be less likely for me to blurt something out that I might not want to, _'Like the conversation in Hybrid History today.' _

On the other hand, I could prove to myself that I mostly certainly do _not_ have a werewolf phobia. Talking to him might also ease my nerves about the many "dreams" I've been having lately, and put my racing heart at rest.

Were there any risks? Besides looking like an idiot, talking to him may in fact increase my fear of werewolves,_ if_ he is a pompous jerk. _'Or kills me, and I end up like Father . . .'_

My heart began racing in my chest. The chills came naturally to me and I welcomed them as I reminisced on the 'dream' I'd had in the Infirmary just last night. I felt exactly how I felt a few days ago when I found out I was a Hybrid . . . split in half. While part of me hated it (because I once hated Hybrids), another part of me was curious. At this moment, I wasn't sure whether to take my father's side and try to understand this werewolf who was a mystery to me, or if I should hate and be afraid of him, just as everyone else.

'_Well . . . you _do _normally do the opposite of everyone else . . .'_ I thought to myself, deeply considering every option.

Was dying a risk I was willing to take? _'Father took that risk . . .'_

I took a deep breath and decided in that moment, that I would no longer be like Mother. I would no longer be afraid. I would be who my Father first raised me to be: a strong Hybrid. This was my opportunity to settle everything that has been bothering me lately.

Step by step I made my way across the room and with every step I became less and less confident. Of course, Father had more practice with werewolves than I had. I felt like a grown adult just now confronting her fear of the boogeyman . . .

Finally when I arrived at the capacious desk he was seated at, I stood awkwardly next to the empty stool, completely unsure as to what to do. I looked around the room for a moment, hardly being able to hear my own thoughts with my heart beating in my chest, and finally asked, "Is anyone sitting here?" I cursed myself for being so obviously nervous.

Sasuke didn't look up at me, and still continued to draw as he replied, "No." His voice was quiet and rumbled in his throat, just as most male voices do.

I nodded my head and rocked back and forth from my toes, to my heels. _'Could this be any more awkward?' _I screamed inside my head. Finally I asked, "So can I sit here?" I wanted to hit myself for (like I predicted) being such an idiot. _'Of course you can sit there! Otherwise he wouldn't have said anything, right?'_ Then I thought, _'But that doesn't _mean_ I can just sit there! Maybe he likes sitting alone and prefers it that way?' _

One minute I'm afraid of whether or not he's going to kill me, now I'm suddenly concerned with whether or not he prefers sitting alone?

Adjusting my weight distribution to my other leg, I realized how anti-social I really was. I shook my head, trying to keep my thoughts from arguing with one another (or my brain from exploding). After a few minutes of silence, and him not answering me (or simply ignoring me) I finally caved and sat down quickly.

He didn't seem to mind, and if he did, he was doing a good job of hiding it. I wasn't about to be nosy and ask him what he was drawing, so I just sat there in my puddle of awkward silence. Finally I decided to pull out my usual supplies, paper and pencil, and wait in silence for class to begin.

Having the sudden desire to draw, but not knowing what to draw, I simply begin twirling my pencil onto the paper creating random lines. Eventually certain lines began to seep through and catch my interest, so I bolded those and pushed more lines onto the paper. Soon my random lines became a sketchy tree and I steadily began bringing it to life.

"You're Sakura." A voice next to me spoke, startling me.

When I looked over at him he was still thoroughly focused on his drawing. It was almost as if he hadn't said anything at all, and the lack of communication between us caused me to think that he actually did say something. Of course I'd rather not admit that I was insane (idiotic, yes, insane, no), so I went with the understanding that he had indeed spoken.

Not wanting to waste the opportunity to make some sort of conversation I said, "Yes, I am . . . what's your name?" It was obvious that practically everyone in the school knew his name, but since I was new I figured that he knew I wouldn't know his name. _'But then again, he knew mine.'_

He stopped drawing and sat up from his hunched over position (scarily reminding me of the hunched over position he'd gone into yesterday, just before . . .). With his hands still on the desk he turned over to look at me and said, "You know who I am."

My heart once again began beating frantically inside my chest, and I had to focus on circulating the oxygen to my brain or else I'd pass out. It only took him a second to say it, and then turn away, and I hadn't had time to respond before he went back to drawing. I wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but I was either insane (which, like I said, I wasn't about to admit) or those five words were intended to have a double meaning.

Before I had any more time to ponder over anything Sasuke related, the Art III instructor began speaking, "Okay class," The young man situated himself at the edge of his desk, "I've got the results in for End of Semester Art Project, and I'm sure you will be happy to know that it is being hosted at the South Academy."

Everyone in the class began hollering and clapping,_ 'South Academy?'_ I thought to myself.

The students began to quiet down as a girl raised her hand and asked, "Have they sent out the specifications yet?"

The Art instructor seemed to think this over for a moment before he said, "We won't know anything official for another month or so, but we do know is that they want to see as much collaboration as possible."

A few students in the class groaned and began whispering complaints about how they "don't like working with others". While everyone else fist pumped and turned directly to the person sitting next to them.

"Are you going to let us choose our partner for the End of Semester Project?" One girl asked excitedly.

"Well . . ." The teacher put his hand on his chin as he sat in thought, purposely teasing the students, "Sure, why not?" The class began cheering once again and finally the instructor stepped in again and said, "But, for this next project I have, I will be choosing your partner for you."

Groaning and disdainful mutters were heard once again and the art instructor waved his hands in the air as if he were physically dismissing their complaints, "You'll get over it." He smiled and everyone glared at him.

"So what is our next project?" One of the boys in the front asked.

"Good question," The young instructor said as he stood up from the edge of his desk and walked around to his computer. "Could someone get the lights?" He asked as he began typing in a few things and pulled up a website that was visible to us through a projector. Once the lights were off he asked, "Anyone recognize this piece?"

The photograph on the website was black and white, and held two living beings. One was a tall, dark figure holding some sort of blanket around themselves, as well as a cane. The other being was what appeared to be a type of dog. In the photograph they were standing next to one another, the tall, dark figure looming over the dog as it looked in the direction of the figure.

The picture seemed to have been taken in a plain white room with wood paneled floors, and only a few tall windows. In the corner was what appeared to be a pile of hay, and in the center of the room was another one of those blankets that the figure was wearing.

The photograph was overall beautiful in its own way, and I couldn't help but have seen the picture before.

"I Like America and America Likes Me." A boy in the class randomly yelled out.

"Very good," The instructor laughed, "But do you know what it's about?"

When asked, the boy shook his head slowly, though seemed to be trying to think of an answer.

"Is it about . . . dark emotions looming over you?" One girl suggested.

"Not quite," The instructor said. "But that's a pretty good answer, anyone else want to take a guess?"

I almost knew that I had the correct answer, because I could have sworn that I'd studied that photograph from somewhere, but I was way too nervous to speak my mind. Of course if I was right then everyone in the class would think, _'Oh man, she's so smart.'_ And I could then bask in me getting the answer correct but having actually guessed it.

"Just say it." Sasuke spoke next to me in almost a whisper.

'_Could he read my thoughts?'_ I thought to myself, paranoid, but suddenly decided that was ridiculous. It was so obvious that he could see _just_ from the corner of his eye that I thought I knew the answer, because of the way I was twiddling my thumbs. Finally I took a deep breath and raised my hand.

"Yes, in the back." The instructor called out.

"Interdependency," I answered, my nervousness causing it to come out as a whisper.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" He asked.

I cleared my throat. "The photograph is about interdependency." I spoke a little more confident the second time.

"Yes, that is correct!" He said excitedly, probably not expecting anyone to guess the right answer.

Everyone in the class then took the opportunity to turn around and look at me, which I thought would mean that it would be my moment to bask in glory, but instead it just made me self-conscious. They turned back toward me, whispered something to their neighbor, looked at me again, and then turned back around to the front.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you're our new student, right?" The teacher asked, which would have seemed completely unprofessional if it hadn't been for the fact that this was an Art class, and sometimes unprofessionalism meant "individuality".

"Yes, I'm the new student," I shrugged. "Sakura Haruno."

Again everyone whispered, and luckily the lights were off so no one could see that my face was turning red. "Well it's nice to have you here Sakura! Well my name is Kotetsu Hagane, but you can just call me Kotetsu," _'Ha, didn't see _that_ coming . . .'_ "Of course you probably know by now that I'm the Art III instructor, so again, welcome to class." Then he stopped for a moment and looked over me, then to Sasuke, and then back to me and said, "There's a few empty seats up here if you want to get a better look at the image," Kotetsu suggested, and I had a feeling he didn't ask me to move just to look at the image better.

"No thank you," I smiled, "I'm a little farsighted anyway, so this distance works out perfect." I lied. This was a really dumb lie, if an artist was farsighted then that would pretty much stink.

He looked like he wanted to argue with me for a moment, but then eventually shrugged his shoulders, "Suit yourself." Then he continued explaining the photograph, "As Sakura said before, this image by Joseph Beuys shows him and a coyote isolated in an art gallery. He spent three days locked in this room with the coyote, with only a felt blanket, cane and gloves to protect him with. Eventually they learned to co-exist in the same space." Then he began reading a quote from the website, "The action was Beuys way of signifying, on one level at least, that human beings need to take a closer look at the dynamic interactions of nature, and culture. Understanding the complexities of _interdependency_ is one of the first steps toward ecological sustainability."

When he had finished speaking he looked up at the class curiously, "What do you think it means to understand the complexities of interdependency?"

A few minutes of silence went by and he waited patiently for someone to think of an answer. Finally, a girl that had spoken earlier said, "One way that we, as Hybrids, understand interdependency, is having to co-exist with Humans."

"That's very true," Kotetsu scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Didn't it take years before Hybrids and Humans could walk down the same street without glaring at one another? It even still happens today! I think that what Beuys was trying to get across, was that nature isn't something we can just push aside," He made the gesture as if he were pushing aside the air, "We _have _to learn to live with it. As Hybrids, aren't we genetically a part of nature?" He allowed the class to soak this through as he turned on the lights and began passing around sheets of paper.

"For your next assignment," He began licking his fingers in order to get the pages to stick to them, "I want you and your partner to spend this week thinking, planning, and observing the world around you and how everything co-exists. I want you and your partner to find what you guys believe to be the best example of interdependency, and capture it using your photographic skills. Look everywhere, just here at the academy are millions of examples."

"Photography?" Someone shouted, obviously not impressed with having to take a picture instead of creating one.

"Yes," Kotetsu smiled mischievously, "I wanted to try something a little different this time, and I thought it would be fun-"

"But this isn't photography class!" Another student whined.

The art instructor sighed, "I know this isn't photography, but just trust me on this one. Find an example of interdependency, and take a picture of it." Finally he came by our table and placed two sheets on our desk, and then walked back up to the front while adding, "And don't think you can just take a random picture, call it interdependency, and then think you're going to get a good grade. I want the picture to have meaning, and you need to use at least one prop."

More students groaned out loud. Kotetsu just snickered.

"Now, here are your partners," As he began calling out names my heart pounded in my chest. I didn't know anyone in the classroom on a personal level, and group projects aren't really my cup of tea, so I was incredibly nervous with whom I was going to be partnered with.

When he had finished calling out all the names, he looked back at the room toward me and said, "Oh! Sorry Sakura, I made this list last week and hadn't realized you were going to be here . . . I'm sure there's someone in another class I can partner you with-"

But before he could finish the voice next to me rumbled, "She can be my partner." He suggested. The entire room became silent as his words caught everyone by surprise. My pulse picked up again and I realized that if it kept doing that I just might have a heart attack.

'_Why in the world would he want _me_ to be _his_ partner?'_ Besides the fact that he was a werewolf, Sasuke was obviously attractive. Not all of the females in the Academy could deny that fact, regardless of his heritage. But to be partnered with _me_? This was clearly a trick, or a joke of some sort.

Kotetsu hesitated before asking, "Are you sure . . ?" The way he asked it seemed to apply more than that, as if he were really saying, "What are you up to?"

"It's fine." He replied solemnly.

"Okay then . . ." He muttered, and then wrote on his list, "Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno . . . partners."

Kotetsu then continued with his lecture on interdependency, but I couldn't hear anything that he was saying after that. My mind was too busy someplace else to realize what was going on in the classroom. Well . . . besides the young werewolf sitting next to me.

I looked over at him, hoping he would glance over so I could ask him why he did what he did, but his focus was on Kotetsu. Confusion washed over me; I wasn't sure whether to be excited to work with someone as attractive as himself, or terrified to work with someone as dangerous as himself. Yet the combination of attractiveness and danger somehow seemed appealing, and I wasn't sure how.

Memories of red eyes and razor sharp teeth mixed with his current image, somber, yet somehow complacent. He seemed at ease with the world on the outside, but on the inside I knew there must be something going on. Werewolf, Hybrid or Human, we all contained emotions that needed to be understood and valued by others, no matter what. It was a part of all of us, and perhaps no one has ever taken the opportunity to understand Sasuke because of the fact that they're all afraid of him.

I sighed in my newly formed puddle of thought, wondering how we were going to get along for the rest of the year. But even more recent, how we were going to get along during the current assignment where we needed to verbally _discuss_ and_ share_ our opinions and perspectives. _'That should be interesting.'_

"Oh! I forgot to mention something!" Kotetsu exclaimed, pulling me from my puddle. "At least _one_ of you needs to be in the photograph with your example of interdependency."

The class began griping again about the project, which caused Kotetsu to laugh. Silently I groaned, not really wanting to be in any photograph, but I knew that it had to be me. Honestly, did Sasuke look like the "I-wanna-be-in-a-picture" type of guy?

Suddenly everyone began standing up and gathering their supplies and I once again assumed that the "bell" was ringing. "Okay everyone, this assignment is due exactly one week from now! Don't procrastinate! If you need to borrow a camera from me, just ask!" It was kind of funny how he was yelling over the bell in which everyone could hear, and I couldn't. To me, it just sounded like he was yelling for no particular reason but to speak very loudly.

Sasuke was one of the first students to leave the classroom, and I wasn't sure whether to follow him and ask him about what happened in class, or keep my distance. _'Think fast, Sakura!' _Well we _are_ partners now, so didn't that mean that I was obligated to following him around and asking him random question? _'Yes, yes it did.'_

I silently chuckled and ran out of the classroom to find him. Hybrids crowded the halls, and it was difficult for me to see around everyone. I forced myself not to be distracted by the ostrich that strutted by me or the hawk that almost hit me as it buzzed through the air. _'These are just things you'll have to get used to.'_ I thought to myself while secretly wanting to scream.

Finally I spotted onyx hair and pushed myself passed the rear end of a moose in order to be close enough for him to hear me. Unfortunately the moose didn't appreciate it very much and ended up "yelling at me" in moose, which is really actually that moose sound they make. Once I apologized for pushing passed him (or her, I wasn't about to check) I had successfully caught up with Sasuke.

I probably spent a good minute with my hand hovering over the side of his arm, debating whether or not I should poke him, or tug on his shirt to get his attention (or neither, just in case he gets mad).

"I'm not going to bite." He said almost humorously, yet his expression betrayed what little humor he had intended.

"Oh, I know." I quickly replied, feeling stupid. "What's your next class?" I asked quickly, wanting to change the subject, if it was even a subject at all.

"Pre-Calculus." He answered. I paled as I thought about math, _'Pre-Calculus?' _I gasped inside my mind, _'Dang, he must be really smart.' _"That's cool." I said nonchalantly out loud, completely betraying my thoughts. "I have Algebra II next."

"Who do you have?" He asked, and the questions were taking me by surprise.

Here was Sasuke Uchiha, a werewolf, having a conversation with me, Sakura Haruno. By the expressions worn by the students walking by us, I assumed that conversations with werewolves didn't happen very often. It excited yet frightened me, but I pushed that aside and answered his question after glancing at my schedule, "Ibiki Morino . . ?"

I looked over at him in curiosity as he seemed to become serious for a moment as he said, "I trust you're a good student." I nodded my head, a little confusion coming over me, but he just nodded his head in return.

When we reached a set of doors that led outside he opened one and waited for me to walk through. "Oh," I said, suddenly surprised, "Uh . . . thank you." He followed after me, and this time when we came to the next set of doors that was on the building over, I opened the door and walked through, but held it open so he could walk through right behind me.

Even though the movements were normal compared to what this school was all about, I couldn't help but find myself blushing. We walked side by side down the hall in silence, and yet my head was buzzing with random subjects we could talk about. Unfortunately any chance of that was cut off when he suddenly stopped in front of a classroom door and said, "This is your next class."

Completely caught off guard, I walked up to the door and placed my hand on the handle to open it. Then when I turned to tell him thank you, he was already on his way to his class. I sighed and walked inside the classroom, trying to keep all my thoughts under control.

"Sakura!" A male voice yelled out my name and I held my breath as I waited for the impact that was surely to come.

Right on time, Kiba wrapped his arms around me and twirled me in a circle before putting me down. I exhaled when I was back on the ground, but was caught off guard when another male tackled me with a bear hug. I looked down at who was hugging me and it was none other than Naruto.

When they both stepped away from me a good distance I sighed and then yelled, "You guys barely know me, why are you already invading my personal space?"

"It's what dogs do." Ino sneered as she walked inside the classroom at the perfect moment, _'Perfect . . .',_ "They invade your space," Then she stopped and glared at Kiba, "Like this mutt is doing right now."

Kiba growled, "Watch it, pussy cat."

Ino rolled her eyes and pushed passed Kiba to sit in a desk that was in the middle of the two girls I'd seen her with during lunch. When she sat down she turned to glare at the three of us for a second before turning back to her sidekicks to probably talk crap about us.

"Kiba, you can stop growling now." I looked at him in concern.

He cleared his throat and muttered, "I'm not growling . . ." Then he took a seat in one of the desks, completely avoiding the fact that he had indeed been growling.

"Yeah, not anymore," I stated obviously and sat next him, then Naruto followed suit and sat behind me. I watched Kiba for a moment as he sat in his own personal bubble of anger and thought, and turned around to Naruto and asked, "What's up with him and Ino?"

He thought about it for a moment and finally said, "Well, besides the fact that Ino is a compulsive bitch-"

I interrupted, impatient, "Yes, besides that!" I used my hands to motion for him to keep going.

He flinched and continued, "Besides that, they've known each other since like, way back in the day."

"Seriously?" I asked, somewhat astonished, yet it did make sense.

He nodded, "Yeah, they practically grew up together. Then eventually they ended up like this." He gestured toward Kiba and Ino, who were occasionally giving each other sidebar glares.

Completely unaware of our conversation, Kiba randomly turned to us and said, "I really hate her. I mean, I don't just strongly dislike her, I _hate_ her." Then he turned away again in his own little world of hate.

"Yeesh . . . I wonder what happened to them?" I asked.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, but if you want to find out, you'll probably have to ask him when he's feeling less . . . hateful." He grimaced and I sighed, "But as for Ino? Yeah, stay away from her."

"Don't worry you don't need to ask me twice." I smiled and laughed, and so did he.

Suddenly someone's voice boomed through the classroom, scaring my skin off, "Class! Attention!"

All of the students in the classroom quickly faced the front with their hands neatly placed on top of their desks. I fumbled my way into the position they were in, completely confused and caught off guard. As I looked to the front of the classroom with everyone else, I saw a large man with two long scars on his face, and looks that could (quite literally) kill.

'_I hope that isn't Ibiki . . .' _I held onto a bit of hope that the man at the front of the classroom was _not_ my Algebra II teacher, and that maybe the real Algebra II teacher would step inside after the big scary man was finished saying whatever needed to be said.

He began checking attendance, and whenever he called out someone's last name they would respectfully say, "Here, sir." All the while the entire class stayed quiet, as if they were afraid he was going to hurt them. _'Well, Kiba _did_ say that he hit Naruto and another student with a thick Algebra II book . . . and everyone knows how thick _those_ books are!' _

When he called my last name I copied everyone else and said, "Here, sir," out of fear that he might bight my head off if I said something different.

When he was finally finished checking attendance, he said, "At ease," and everyone went back to their original positions, facing the front. The first person he turned to was me, "Haruno, welcome to North Academy for Hybrids." I nodded my head (scared crapless with what to say) and he continued, "My name is Ibiki Morino but you are to address me as General Ibiki. Having served in the Hybrid Military for thirty years I expect a level of respect out of my students and that includes you." He stared.

I swallowed and whispered, "Yes, sir."

Then he began pacing, "I will not hesitate to humiliate you if necessary or personally assign disciplinary measures if I see to it that they are needed." Then he stopped abruptly and said, "Understood?"

"Yes, sir," I said quickly, not wanting to find out what sort of _disciplinary measures_ he was speaking of.

"Good," he smiled, and the action didn't suit him. Though just as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared, and he was back to his military demeanor. "Students, open your textbooks to Chapter 25. We will be continuing our discussion on logarithms." Just like in the other classes, everyone groaned (except not as loud as in the other classes), which caused General Ibiki to turn on his heel and shout, "Who's whining?"

Everyone quickly straightened up and he glared at the entire class before turning back around and writing incredibly confusing problems on the white board.

'_I hate Algebra, I hate Algebra, I hate Algebra, I hate Algebra.' _I recited over and over in my head. There was a clock next to the whiteboard and every time I would glance over at it, it hadn't even moved a tenth of a centimeter.

"Isolate logarithmic term before you convert the logarithmic equation to an exponential equation." _'Blah, blah, blah,'_

Even though General Ibiki was big and scary, he was boring as _hell_. His voice droned on and on, and it seemed that the rest of the class agreed because most of the students were writing with their eyes closed. Then when he would suddenly turn around everyone would jump back into their proper positions and nod their heads enthusiastically, as if Algebra was _fun_. I rolled my eyes at the thought and decided to draw instead of listen.

"Hey Sakura," Naruto softly whispered from behind me, scaring me to death.

"What?" I asked sharply, yet quietly, as I tried to avoid General Ibiki from hearing us. That didn't seem too much of an issue because of the fact that he was so engrossed in logarithms.

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out this weekend." He asked casually.

"Um . . ." I thought for a moment, suddenly getting nervous. "I already have plans with Tenten." I lied, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Oh," he sounded disappointed. "That's fine."

Then as he went to sit back into his seat, General Ibiki turned in our direction and shouted, "Naruto! Do you have something you need to say?"

"No, sir," Naruto replied irritably.

"Good," he grinned and folded his arms, "Then I guess you won't mind giving me fifty push-ups!"

Naruto sighed and said, "No, sir." Then he stepped out from his desk, dropped onto the floor, and began doing push-ups as if it were just as easy as breathing. _'Damn . . . note to self: don't get on General Ibiki's bad side.' _

Someone in the room scoffed, as if amused by Naruto having to do push-ups. General Ibiki must've heard it too, because he immediately directed his attention to a boy with long brown hair tied very low toward the end, "Something funny, Neji?"

"No, sir," He quickly replied, and it seemed that "no, sir" and "yes, sir" was all anyone could really say in this class. "Good, then you won't mind giving me fifty push-ups, too!"

The boy named Neji seemed to bite back what he really wanted to say, and instead dropped on the floor next to his desk and began doing push-ups too. When I looked over at Kiba, somewhat in shock and yet somewhat amused, he had his lips sucked into his mouth. His eyes were glossy and his face contorted into pain, "Kiba, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

His shoulders shook, and as he tried to slowly open his mouth to respond, he burst out laughing. I sucked in my lips and faced the front, trying hard not to laugh as well, but also doing my best to stay away from having to do push-ups.

"One hundred push-ups Kiba!" General Ibiki automatically yelled, and Kiba obliged, now trying to stifle his amusement. "Anyone else want push-ups?" The class became quiet and when no one responded he shouted, "Well?"

"No, sir," everyone responded in unison.

Suddenly Naruto stood up and went to sit back in his seat but then General Ibiki turned to him and said, "Fifty clap push-ups." Naruto sighed, and when the teacher heard it he said, "Oh, you want more? One hundred!"

Kiba started busting out laughing again _as_ he was doing his push-ups and General Ibiki began yelling at all three of them, ordering them to do more clap push-ups. The entire time I kept my mouth shut tight, but if he so much as glanced at my eyes he probably would have made me do push-ups too, amusement was written all over them.

When class was finally over Kiba and I began cracking up laughing when we knew we were far away from General Ibiki's classroom. "Is he _always_ like that?" I said between laughs.

"Oh, yeah!" Kiba replied, having to stop to breathe for a moment, "He seriously _hates_ Naruto and Neji!"

When I finally began to calm down, I asked, "What about you?"

"Nah," He shrugged his shoulders, wearing a cocky grin, "He just enjoys torturing everyone else, myself included, but he _really_ enjoys making Naruto and Neji's life a living hell!"

Naruto was walking with us, but he didn't seem as amused as we were. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he was wearing a sour look like he was pouting.

"Oh come on, Naruto! At least Neji did them with you!" Kiba reassured his blonde friend.

Eventually Naruto smirked, "Yeah, and he didn't even do anything!" He shouted enthusiastically and even laughed for a moment, which caused Kiba and I to start laughing as well.

"Well," I said after catching my breath for a second time, "At least the push-ups made you stop thinking of Ino." I smiled, but quickly regretted saying anything.

Kiba glared into the abyss, making everyone that was walking his way think that he was glaring at them. He growled and under his breath muttered, "Ino . . ."

Naruto scoffed and said, "Way to go Sakura."

I turned to glare at him but he was smirking, so I couldn't help but smirk back.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence (in which Kiba was still continuing to glare at nothingness) Naruto turned and asked me, "What's your next class?"

I pulled out my schedule and read, "English IV with Iruka, what about you guys?"

"English IV?" Kiba suddenly shouted, scaring the skin off of us, "Damn, smarty pants."

I held up my index finger, "_Only_ in English," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Kiba and I have English III," Naruto answered my question from before, "Actually, our class is right up here," He pointed ahead, "Yours is a little farther down, but it's on the end and says 'English IV: Iruka' on the door, so it shouldn't be heard to find."

"Yeah, especially with you being so good at _English_ and all . . ." Kiba muttered. I rolled my eyes and gave him a look and he grinned.

"Well, we'll see you around Sakura," They smiled and waved good bye as they walked into their English class, and I continued on to mine. I was looking forward to it just as much as Art III.

When I walked inside the classroom had the average English classroom feel to it (which I enjoyed, and caused me to smile my nerdy smile). There were posters on the walls that had English literature quotes, some that I recognized and some that I didn't, but still gave me that swelling in my chest that meant many adventures were ahead. Many books to be read and essays to be written! _'Wow, no wonder my social life is non-existent . . .'_

Among the students I quickly recognized Hinata, who was sitting in the very front and studiously reading. Although I wasn't one to enjoy sitting in the very front, I decided it would be okay for this class. Algebra II? No, because knowing my luck General Ibiki would ask me for the answer to a question I couldn't even comprehend. As for English IV? Yes, because I could always think of something on the spot.

As I sat next to Hinata she looked up at me and gave me a soft smile, "Hello Sakura."

"Hey Hinata," I smiled back, except a little more enthusiastically than hers, "What are you reading?" I asked, being nosy.

She blushed and placed the book off to the side so I couldn't see it, "It's uh . . . it's nothing really, just a boring book on the 1920's."

"Oh awesome, I love reading about the '20's! May I see it?"

"N-No, it's awfully boring, you wouldn't want to see it."

I eyed her suspiciously, "I'm sure I would, I've read quite a lot of non-fiction."

"Well this one is even more boring than the rest." She stuttered, avoiding my gaze.

"You're a bad liar." I smirked.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, then handed the book to me after placing the book mark in its proper place.

When I saw the front cover, it was most definitely _not_ a book on the 1920's. I gasped, "You like The House of Night Series?"

Her blush deepened and she quickly said, "It was a present from a friend and when I read the first one I had to read the rest and-"

Then I interrupted her, "This is one of my favorite series! I can't believe you're reading _Burned_, I totally haven't read it yet, can I borrow it when you're done with it?" I asked eagerly.

She seemed completely caught off guard, "S-Sure . . ."

Once I gave the book back to her I asked, "Why are you ashamed that you're reading it?"

"It's not that I'm ashamed-"

"_Hinata . . ._"

She sighed, "It's because my parents don't like me reading fiction, they believe it's going to keep me out of medical school and completely destroy my future."

"Seriously?" I asked incredulously.

She nodded her head, "But ever since I started coming to this Academy, I've been able to read as much fiction as I want," She had been smiling but suddenly it faltered, "Unfortunately I have to hide it from Neji . . . he's my cousin," She remarked suddenly when I gave her a look, "And if he sees me reading anything fiction he'll tell my parents, because they asked him to." She sighed.

"Dang, that really stinks . . . well I'm glad all of that hasn't kept you from reading fiction, I honestly think it's good for the brain."

She smiled, "Me too."

"Okay class," a man at the front announced his presence as soon as everyone was settled and in their seats. "As you know there is a major portfolio coming up soon and you have the choice between creative writing, or a research paper. Since some of you are still in research mode I want to kind of help everyone get into their creative mode by doing a little fun activity today."

The class sighed and cheered in reluctance that there wasn't anything too strenuous on them for the class period.

"You can do this with us too, Sakura," He smiled warmly, and seemed to be the most normal teacher out of the rest. "By the way, you can call me Iruka." I nodded and smiled, and he continued with the activity.

To get our creative juices flowing- _'That sounds really weird . . .'_ –Iruka had us take out a sheet of paper and write one random word in the top right corner, and then another random word in the top left corner.

'_Hmm . . . Dream and paint.'_ Those were the two words I wrote in the top two corners of my college-ruled paper.

"Now I want you to write fourteen more random words underneath both of those two words." Iruka stated, and we looked at him like he was insane.

"What is the point of this?" One boy whined.

"You'll see." Iruka smiled slyly.

'_Okay, twenty-eight more random words . . . pristine, gleam, light, fight-' _and I continued to write more words as they popped into my head. Finally I finished and wondered curiously where he was going with this.

When the entire class had finished writing everyone looked up. Iruka then said, "Now I want everyone to put all of those words into a poem."

A few students got excited, but the majority of the class groaned and complained about being terrible at poetry, "It doesn't have to rhyme! There _is_ such a thing called _free verse_ poetry." When everyone began writing he suddenly said, "Oh, and you can't add _any_ words, not even 'and' or 'the'." He smirked and everyone whined.

'_Alright, random poetry time . . . you can do this Sakura!' _Then I began switching around my random words into the most abstract poem I'd ever written (and not in the good way either).

"Oh," Iruka interrupted again and we glared at him, "You can't use the same word twice, either." A few people sighed and began erasing what they wrote, including me.

Finally I was finished with my paper, and wouldn't have minded its strange, randomness, if it weren't for two words that did not go with the poem _at all_.

"Is anyone still working?" Iruka asked, and when no one answered he said, "Now I want you to go ahead and erase two words from your poem, and then rearrange them if you need to."

'_Oh thank goodness!' _I sighed in relief. The two words I immediately erased were: milk and cow. I had no idea how those had come into my mind, but finding a place for them in the poem was awkward, because they didn't go _anywhere_.

Once everyone had finished Iruka said, "Now erase one more word."

This time it took me a little longer to find a word I wanted to erase, but once I had, I felt that the poem was perfectly fine the way it was. Random? Yes. Completely terrible? Not necessarily. I smiled my nerdy smile.

"Alright, go ahead and title your poem, and you don't have to use the words on the list." Once he allowed everyone to take the time to think of a title he said, "Now I want everyone in the class to say their poem out loud."

"No!" Most of the class screamed in protest, completely taking him off guard.

"It's kind of funny how, I didn't _ask_ if you wanted to or not." Iruka cockily smiled and the class glared at him again.

A few girls, who were bigger nerds than me- '_Gasp,'_ –decided to go first and recite their poems. Eventually I gave in and said mine, which went like this:

Title: Better Tomorrow

Dream Pristine

Light might gleam

Oak Tree

Writing, Thinking

Sitting, Feeling

Knowing Love

Paint Brush

Fight Bear

Tiger Tight

Reading Words Define Dictionary

Live Life, Love Art

I smiled when I was finished and realized I had a bit of a blush on my cheeks. Okay so maybe it was slightly embarrassing to have to recite a silly poem out loud, but I'll survive.

Everyone else's poems were indeed extremely random, while others made sense in their own confusing way. Some students had silly poems where absolutely nothing went together, and even one student had something that sounded more like a grocery list than a poem.

When it finally came to someone's turn in the back, my heart skipped when I heard their voice. I quickly turned around and saw the raven haired teen from my Art III class sitting in the back of the classroom. _'I didn't even see him walk in . . .'_ But then again, I had been engrossed in a conversation with Hinata.

All of the students in the classroom seemed completely transfixed on Sasuke as he recited his poem, "The title is: Knowing," He cleared his throat and began,

Drawing Clear Mind

Blossom Tree Green, Without Pity

Watching World Live

Knowing Today Will Not Change

Come To Find, Decisions

Right From Wrong

Writing Chaos

Second Dream

The way he spoke it made it sound dark and disturbing, though the words were optimistic in some way. His voice betrayed all optimism and instead gave it an overall melancholy feel that had everyone begging for more; of course they would never say that out loud, especially to a Werewolf.

Instead everyone applauded him in their own mind and on the outside, simply nodded their heads and turned back to the front of the classroom.

Soon the entire class had finished reciting their poems, and Iruka merrily said, "You're the first class to not have someone fail."

"How could you possibly fail this?" One girl asked scornfully.

"By simply refusing to share with everyone else," he smiled and everyone sweat dropped. He then glanced at the clock and noticed that class was almost over, so he quickly said, "Last week we covered research, so the rest of this week we will be discussing creative writing. Tonight I want you to come up with a one page creative essay, about anything you want. Then next week we will get started on your projects by taking a trip to the library!"

The class grumbled and began standing up and gathering their items. A few students continued to openly complain about creative writing, while others relished in it. I never really had a preference, though I did find creative writing to be more enjoyable than a research essay, especially since research wasn't necessary for creative writing.

I gathered my supplies and placed everything into my messenger bag, and followed Hinata out of the classroom, all the while watching Sasuke from my peripherals. It didn't seem like he noticed me on the way out, but I knew that he heard my poem. Just knowing that he heard that caused me to blush again, and I mentally gave myself a face palm.

Hinata and I walked down the hall, and out of the building. I noticed that Sasuke wasn't too far ahead of us. "What's your next class?" I asked her curiously while staring straight ahead at onyx hair.

"Athletics," she replied. "I'm pretty sure it's yours too, a lot of students have it at the end of the day."

I took my eyes away from him and checked my schedule, "Yeah, I sure do . . ." _'Great . . . I forgot about Athletics . . .'_

I sighed, hoping with every bit of hope in my body that Sasuke didn't have Athletics too, otherwise I might explode with embarrassment.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked as we made our way to the giant building I'd gone in with Tenten just yesterday. It held the many stadiums and single gym necessary for training and fighting. I assumed that Athletics was going to be held in the gym section.

"I'm not really the athletic type," I admitted with another sigh.

"Oh . . ." She replied. I'd hoped that she would say something like: "It's okay, Athletics isn't hard!" but instead she said, "Anko will help you," which really didn't help.

"Joy . . ." I muttered to myself. At San Arcos students only needed 1.5 athletic credits in order to graduate, and luckily I'd already been finished with any sort of athletic activities after the first semester of sophomore year. Yet here I was again, one year later, facing something that I was even worse at than Algebra II. _'And that's saying something!' _

Sasuke made it to the gym before us, and by then I was still holding a small ray of hope that it was a total coincidence that he happened to be going to the gym at the same time as we were, and that he wasn't in my Athletics class. Hinata and I soon followed after, and so did a few other students that I recognized, one of those students being Tenten.

"Tenten!" I yelled exasperatedly when I spotted her inside the gym. "I haven't seen you _all_ day!"

"Sakura . . ." Tenten gripped my shoulders, "You saw me at lunch."

I gave her a look and then smiled and nodded, "Oh yeah . . . wow this has been a long day . . ." I sighed.

"It'll get better, trust me," Tenten reassured me, "Now let's go get dressed for Athletics! Who's ready for a work-out? I know I am!" She shouted in the gym and a few other students shouted with her.

I sighed and felt the embarrassment creeping up on me. Suddenly a thought struck me, "Hey, I can't do anything today, because I don't have any Athletic clothes!" Then I added, "Or shoes!"

"Sakura Haruno," a female voice called my name and I turned around and saw a woman offering me a set of athletic clothes _and_ shoes. "Use these until you can get your own." She smiled as I (unfortunately had to) accept the items. "There's also a lock inside the shoes with a sticky note with your locker number and combination." _'Damn, she thought of _everything_.' _Then she patted me on the back before walking off to yell at some boys that were acting stupid.

I wanted to cry as I held the set of gym clothes and shoes in my arms. "Hey look, now you have clothes _and_ shoes!" Tenten said excitedly, but was completely oblivious to my misery.

"Joy . . ." I gave Hinata and Tenten a fake smile and followed them into the girl's locker room. I had to admit, the locker rooms were decent compared to what San Arcos had. At San Arcos, some of the toilets didn't have doors, the showers leaked, most of the mirrors were broken or completely missing, plus pretty much all of the locks didn't work properly and you had to yank or kick them off, and overall it smelled like chlorine because it was shared with the swim team.

As for this locker room, it was much more decent. The lockers were larger and there were changing areas connected with single celled showers instead of one large shower area, and it smelled fine, surprisingly. Even though the locker room was okay, that didn't mean I was going to enjoy Athletics. I still grudgingly dragged my feet to find my locker number, which was only a few lockers down from Tenten and Hinata.

I tried to hurry as I changed, not really wanting anyone to see me without clothes on. Then as I sat down to put the athletic shoes on, I saw a pair of socks inside. _'Ugh, she _did_ think of everything!'_ I pouted and shoved the shoes on before following Tenten and Hinata outside.

"Here, you might need this." Tenten handed me a hair tie.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

As we were about to walk out into the gym, the Ino trio strutted in front of us, "Good luck, Sakura." she sneered. "You're going to need it." Then she flipped her hair to the side and walked off with her other robots.

Tenten turned around with an angry look on her face and muttered, "I really hate her." _'Sounds familiar,'_ I thought to myself as we walked out into the gym.

There were _a lot_ of students. Not just about twenty, but more like thirty or thirty-five. And yes, that's a lot. Compared to the nine others I had in my pathetic P.E. class whom I was embarrassed to even run in front of, thirty-five was a lot. Fortunately it was also less personal because there were more students, but unfortunately, everyone I knew was there.

I plopped onto the gym floor with everyone else, and copied what they were doing, which right now was stretching. We stretched our arms, legs, backs, and every other muscle I hadn't realized existed. Even worse, when everyone bent over to touch their toes, I couldn't. Touching my toes was always something I couldn't do, and it may not seem like a big deal, but it is when everyone else is doing it and you're not, and the gym teacher is eyeing you.

"Okay, everyone down on the floor," Anko announced, and everyone did as they were told.

All of the students began getting into push-up positions and I wept inside as I wished that this whole thing wasn't happening, and that I was _anywhere _but in Athletics. Even Algebra II would be better than _this_ hell!

"Up," she shouted, and everyone went up, "Down." _'Damnit'_ "Up," My arms shook under the weight of my body, "Down." _'Damnit' _"Up," I could feel my face burning red from strain, "Down." _'Damnit'_ "Up," My breathing faltered, "Down." _'Damnit' _"Up," Crying would be really good right now, "Down. Now everyone sit up." _'Oh thank goodness' _I sighed in relief and ignored the sweat on my forehead.

I looked around the room and everyone else seemed perfectly fine, as if they weren't having the worst experience of their life. Hinata didn't even look like the athletic type and yet she was doing push-ups like she was reading a book!

I groaned when I realized everyone was getting into sit-up positions, but knew that it couldn't be as bad as push-ups . . . I was wrong.

Athletics class continued like this for a torturing fifty minutes. We alternated between push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, heel slappers, and many other forms of exercise I'd never experienced in my entire life. Glancing around the room there were students smiling and having occasional casual conversations, while I stood in my puddle of sweat (literally), hardly having the breath to breathe.

Out of an unfortunate hereditary gene, my face turns red a lot faster and darker than anyone else's during exercise. From the time I was born I was told that this just meant I had "good circulation" and that I should be thankful. No, actually I'm not thankful. Especially at this moment where I'm not only embarrassed by my inability in athletics, but that embarrassment has caused my cheeks to turn red, and on top of that, my "good circulation" makes me even more red; thus causing me to look like a tomato.

During the whole process I averted my eyes away from Sasuke who was breezing through the whole process just like everyone else. Using my peripherals I could see that he was a little off to the side away from everyone else, or it might have been that everyone else was away from _him_. Either way, he was just as fit as everyone else, therefore permanently tomatofying my face.

When the class was officially over I fell to the floor, hardly breathing and sweating more sweat than I'd ever sweat in my life. The best way to describe it is that it felt like I'd just swam in the ocean. While everyone was casually making their way to the locker rooms they glanced in my direction, muttering words I couldn't hear or actually could care less to hear.

Ino (of course) snickered with her sidekicks, "Told you so," she muttered. I was too exhausted to glare.

"Ignore her Sakura, you did well." Tenten encouraged. Hinata nodded her head and smiled, then offered her hand to help me off my puddle of sweat on the floor.

I mumbled "Thanks," but her encouragement didn't make a difference.

Reluctantly I followed Hinata and Tenten to the female locker room, but didn't speak a word as I miserably changed into my clean clothes. There almost didn't seem a point in doing this, except for the fact that I felt a tad bit cleaner (though unbearably sticky).

Once we were changed we grabbed our bags and headed outside. The whole time I felt apathetic and didn't hear a single word in the casual conversation Tenten and Hinata were carrying. My mind wandered to different places in time, each memory floating through me like jelly. They stuck and slid off me, but were soon dissolved. The only ones that stayed were those of a certain Werewolf. His jet black hair hanging in front of his eyes as he drew, and his body looming over his work in complete concentration.

I hadn't seen him since the beginning of Athletics, and was now hoping that I'd 'accidentally' run into him. Perhaps then we could have a conversation about . . . anything. Perhaps then my mood would change. _'Yeah, I'd be so nervous I'd pass out or go into a panic attack. Get your head back together Sakura! He's a Werewolf!'_

I shook my head of all thoughts, and sighed. Maybe not thinking at all and just _looking_ would help me to _see_. Finally I looked up at the sky and everything that was around me in order to feel at least a little less apathetic.

The sun shone through the beautiful cotton clouds that swam across the ocean blue sky, enjoying every bit of the day. Even the breeze that swept past us _felt_ beautiful, and just as perfect as the sky. The oak trees danced to the rhythm of the Earth while the grass swayed in tempo. It was as if each part of nature was celebrating the fact that this very long first day of hybrid school was over.

For a moment I allowed a small smile to graze my lips.

"This is where I depart . . . see you guys later!" Hinata smiled and tried to run off, but Tenten caught her sleeve.

The sudden change in conversation caught my attention and pulled me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even realized we were only a few feet away from the front door to the girl's dorm.

"What's the rush?" Tenten eyed her suspiciously.

Hinata didn't meet her eyes as she responded, "You know, just got some things that need to get done."

"Some _medical_ things?"

"What's going on?" I asked, completely confused.

Tenten turned to me, still holding onto Hinata's sleeve, "Hinata has an addiction to Hybridology, and therefore has no social life-" She then made a gesture between us, "-besides us."

Hinata sighed, "I'm actually working on Telepathy right now," Then she eyed Tenten, "it's _very_ important."

"What's that?" I asked curiously, suddenly incredibly intrigued.

Tenten sighed in defeat as Hinata went on a nerd rampage, "It's a difficult medical maneuver used in the Hybrid Military, Police Force, and by any and all Hybrid doctors. It allows you to see everything in someone's mind, while also recovering memories . . . if you choose to do so, anyway."

"It's also part of what Doctor Biba did to you yesterday." Tenten added.

I scrunched my eyebrows, "Seriously?" _'Maybe that 'dream' _was_ real . . .'_

As I stood in thought, Tenten and Hinata continued discussing Hinata's social life and how it didn't really "exist". When the subject of hanging out with Naruto came up, Hinata dismissed it quickly saying, "He said he was busy . . ."

Tenten finally let the whole thing go (including her sleeve) and let her "nerd-it-up" in the Advanced Hybridology lab.

Finally Tenten and I headed to the elevator, and up to "Floor D", and into our amazingly wonderful room with my amazingly comfortable bed. I smiled sleepily, and dropped my bag before falling face flat onto my bed. The sensation was wonderful. I'd never felt so comfortable in my entire life. After such a long, hard day of Hybrid school _this_ was all I wanted to do.

As I began drifting to sleep, I heard Tenten walking around the room as if making as much ruckus as possible. Too exhausted to open my eyes, it sounded as if she were getting everything on her side of the room organized, while preparing to go somewhere. Though it didn't matter to me if she did . . . it'd be quieter that way.

Suddenly the room became quiet and I felt her eyes on me.

"What are you doing?" She asked, as if it weren't obvious.

I peeked one eye open, "Trying to sleep . . ."

"Sleep?" She sounded appalled. "Sleep isn't good right now!"

I glared at her with my face squished into my pillow, "And why not?"

Tenten went into a hysteria, throwing her arms in every direction, "Cause if you sleep _now_, you're not going to want to sleep tonight, thus causing you to stay up late. Then if you stay up late, you go to sleep late, but you have to wake-up early for classes. Thus forcing your body to wake-up and _stay awake_ during the whole entire day! Then you'll _really_ be sleepy!"

I pushed my face into my pillow, angry, "So what should I do?"

"Go jogging with me!" She said a little too cheerfully.

For a second I thought she was just joking, but when I pulled my head up and actually looked at her, she was already dressed in athletic shorts and shirt, and running shoes!

I squinted at her, "Are you crazy? Why would I want to go jogging when I just had the most painful experience of my life in Athletics?"

"Because," She held up a finger, as if about to state a fact, "Jogging can be a relaxing experience when you do it often, _and-_" She held up her whole hand, stopping me from speaking. "-it is not only good for you, but it releases stress." She smiled. That smile was beginning to annoy me.

Before I knew it, I was clad in a borrowed work-out outfit from Tenten, complete with an older pair of running shoes. She held up her thumb and index finger to her chin, looking over the whole outfit to see if it fit.

"That actually fits pretty well." She nodded approvingly. I glared in response. She noticed and giggled. _'Ugh.'_

Unwillingly, (and outwitted by her many facts) I followed Tenten back the way we came. It had only been fifteen minutes ago when I was relieved to head back to my room and go to sleep, and yet here I was back outside, dressed to jog. The world around me didn't even feel the same as it had before; in fact, it felt more dreadful than before. The sun and sky, once bright and shining, was officially being suffocated by a blanket of clouds. Even the wind no longer caused the trees and grass to dance, it caused everything to tremble.

As Tenten and I jogged she cued me in on many helpful tips – _'Not that I care.' _– such as keeping your hands open, because closing them uses more energy, and breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

After a while I began to submerse myself into the steady pace of the jog and actually began to enjoy it. I slowly realized that this is what I should have been doing, instead of staying inside and studying all the time. _'No wonder I'm so out of shape.'_

"You're doing well so far, keep it up." Tenten looked over at me and smiled, and this time it didn't annoy me.

We followed a concrete path through the school grounds, allowing me to see more of the Academy. Tenten explained that there were five main buildings that held classrooms, not including the Primary building. The one I'd gone in for Art III was in the shape of a perfect square, then the building next to it went around the square like an "L". Next to the "L" was a long rectangular building parallel to it, and then next to that building were two square buildings right next to each other, parallel to the rectangular one.

As we jogged through these she pointed out where some of her classes were, "Though no one knows where some of the senior classes are . . . they're a secret until you're a senior." She added mysteriously, and that made me excited (and nervous) about senior year.

Once we cleared the buildings we took a dirt path that branched off of the concrete one. Looking ahead, I could see that the dirt path began descending into the woods . . . any farther than that was obscured by the forest.

"Are you sure we can go in there?" I asked hesitantly.

She gave me a funny look, "Of course we can, it's a part of the school grounds . . . I jog this way every day."

I sighed in defeat.

When we began passing the first few trees I began feeling a little claustrophobic, and paranoid. It could just be in my head, but I just didn't feel completely safe in there. The oak tree forest slowly became thicker with each step we took deeper and it felt as if every tree had a pair of eyes set on us. When a twig would snap underneath our feet I couldn't help but glance around, waiting for someone to jump out.

Slowly the minutes ticked by and eventually I felt at ease again. Though instead of the silence, I suddenly began to hear other people talking and yelling. Up ahead a large wooden fence began to materialize before my eyes.

Tenten, sensing my curiosity, said, "That's the Training Grounds," When we were close to the entrance we slowed to a steady walk. "Come on, I'll show you around."

As soon as we stepped inside I felt as if I'd entered another world. Within the large fenced-in area were many different Hybrid students practicing skills that went with the specific spirit inside them. Not that I knew what that felt like yet- _'At least not completely . . .'_ –but it's how Tenten described being "one" with your Hybrid spirit. I wondered how often I'll be seeing this place, especially three months from now when practically everyone in the school decides to fight me.

Walking through I observed all that there was to do in there, some of which actually seemed _fun_. All around the perimeter of the training grounds was a running track where students were racing, jogging, or sprinting in short spurts. In the middle of the track were obstacle courses, tires to run through, ropes that you would carry yourself across on, and rock climbing walls.

Besides all of these things that appeared to be simple Human activities, there were also many targets randomly placed around the inside of the training grounds where students were using their chakra to levitate weapons and throw them at the target. For a moment in time I felt a sense of nostalgia wash over me as I recalled a piece of the 'dream' I'd had just last night in the Infirmary.

"Hey Sakura!" A familiar voice called to me, pulling me from my thoughts.

I smiled at the sight of blonde hair, "Hey Naruto, what are you doing here?"

"We were just about to ask you that." Kiba laughed while raising one eyebrow, "Training already?"

"No, Tenten was just showing me around."

Naruto and Kiba were both wearing athletic clothes and had only a few small sweat spots, thus reminding me how much more athletic they were than me.

"Wanna train with us?" Kiba asked excitedly.

I held up my hands, as if trying to physically stop that stupid idea from reaching me, "No thank you!" Noticing the disappointment on their faces I quickly added, "Maybe some other time."

Satisfied with that answer they turned to Tenten and she shrugged and said, "Just one race." Kiba jumped in excitement and Naruto fist pumped the air. "But in Human form."

"What?" They whined in unison. Tenten gave them a look and together they sighed and said, "Fine . . ."

I watched from the side as all three of them lined up next to one another, preparing to race each other around the track. Before they began, Tenten turned to me and said, "Be sure to keep an eye on us, if you lose us, you might not see the real winner."

"That'll be me," Kiba smirked.

"In your dreams," Naruto teased.

"Sakura, tell us when to go, the boys often cheat." Tenten winked.

A bit of excitement ran through me as I said, "Ready?" They crouched forward, "Set," Their muscles tensed under their clothes, "Go!" I jumped back in surprise when dirt scattered around them, as if they were each sending off sonic vibrations into the ground.

Quickly I searched the track for any sign of them but felt at a loss when it seemed there weren't any students racing on the track.

"See? Told you . . . only in your dreams!" Naruto teased and I jumped around to find the three of them standing behind me. "Did you see me, Sakura?"

I stared at them wide-eyed. All three of them were just standing there as if they hadn't even moved. "No . . ." I said hesitantly.

Tenten walked up to me and patted my shoulder, "It's okay, no one ever does the first time."

Kiba smirked and held up his finger, shaking it at Naruto, "Don't you worry, one of these days I'm going to win . . . and when I do, I'm going to rub it in your face."

Naruto laughed in mockery while Tenten shook her head and sighed. I smiled at their competitive nature, for once feeling thankful that Tenten dragged me out of bed.

"Well as much fun as it has been running in circles, Sakura and I are going to continue jogging on the trail. See you guys later."

After we said our good-byes and Tenten promised she'd be back tomorrow to kick their butts, we walked back outside the training grounds and continued jogging on the trail we'd been on earlier. It was nice to have a small break from jogging, but having the minute amount of time to rest caused my body to go back into sleep mode. Running wasn't much help either, and I began to feel my calves cramping.

All of the helpful tips Tenten had given me earlier about jogging completely went to the wind as it became harder to breathe. The stitch in my side grew and became more and more difficult to ignore, but I pressed on, knowing there wasn't really any place to stop and rest.

As we turned a corner on the trail, I saw a clearing in the distance. A small hill protruded from the ground and for some reason there weren't any trees on that hill, except for one large tree at the very top. When we were closer I could see that the top flattened just enough that it would be a comfortable spot for a few people to sit and rest.

The spot appealed to me and a strange sense ran through me, as if it would one day hold a lot of meaning. As we jogged I became more and more intrigued, wanting so much to run up to the top of that hill and fall asleep.

"Hey Tenten," I breathed out, slowly coming to a steady walk.

She looked at me confused, keeping only a few paces ahead of me, "What is it?"

"I think I'm going to rest here for a little while."

Practically jogging in place, she asked, "Do you want me to wait here with you?"

"No, it's okay, you go on ahead." I smiled reassuringly.

"Okay . . ." She smiled back, still unsure. "I'm going to go to the end of the trail and circle back around; I'll meet you back here in a little while, okay?"

"Sure." I nodded.

Tenten gave me one last look before she bounced forward and jogged at a much faster pace than we'd been jogging before. That's when I realized she'd been going a lot slower than usual just to keep up with me. _'Well, that was kind of her.'_ Though it didn't help much with my confidence, and only made me feel worse knowing that I was holding her back.

Once Tenten was out of sight, I turned to my left where the hill was now located, and began walking off the trail in order to reach it. There was probably a safer path somewhere else, but I didn't care to look for it at the moment.

As I stepped through the edge of the clearing and onto the soft, green grass, it felt like an entirely different place. At some point in time when I'd been jogging through the forest, the clouds had parted just enough that a ray of sun was peeking through. Enough light reached the clearing that everything appeared to be glowing with a soft intensity.

Presented before me was the hill, covered entirely in lush, healthy grass, except for that one stop on the very top that held a large oak tree. The hill appeared a lot larger than I had seen from a distance, but was small enough that I could almost see the top. Still, my muscles protested at the effort I was about to force them to make, but I ignored them.

One step at a time I climbed the hill, taking my time as my feet and calves ached. Finally I reached the top and sighed, looking back out at the direction in which I came. I placed a hand on the tree and rested against it, allowing the large shadow produced by the tree to cover me and cool my body down as the wind swept through. Expanding my lungs I breathed in, and out. Gazing over the forest I could almost see over the tops of the trees, but nothing past that. In a sense I was thankful, I would have felt self-conscious if other students could see me standing at the top of the hill.

Being up there I felt a sense of protection, as if nothing or no one in the world could get to me, or see me. I took a few steps back, around the other side of the tree, and felt the back of my foot collide with something. Before I even had time to think, I found myself hitting the ground, butt first. I sighed at my clumsiness, and looked up to find that it wasn't a rock I'd tripped on, but a person.

I gasped in surprise, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know anyone was up here!" I babbled in panic and hoped that this particular person wouldn't get mad at me.

He looked up at me through his long, dark bangs, a hint of laughter floating in his onyx eyes. It was strange seeming him so peaceful up here, surrounded by the innocence of nature. Without even realizing it, my heart had been racing in my chest. I placed a hand there to calm it down, doing my best to avert eye contact.

The young werewolf before me continued doing what he had been doing before I tripped over his foot, drawing. I sat up in a more comfortable position, taking great care in not getting too close to him.

Without thinking I asked, "What are you doing up here?" The wind rustled the leaves above our heads, in some way putting me at ease.

"It's quiet." He replied solemnly.

I nodded my head in return, wondering if I was becoming a nuisance to him by being up here. "I'll go," I said suddenly after a few seconds of silence.

When I began to stand up, he said, "You're my partner."

"Yes . . ." I replied, confused as to where he was going with this. For some strange reason I felt relieved that he spoke before I left, something inside me didn't quite want to go yet.

"I have a camera," He held up an object that was hanging by a strap around his neck, and sure enough it was a small black camera. Well, everything was small except the lens, but that just showed that it took beautiful shots.

"Oh," I said, surprised. "Good, now we don't have to borrow one. . ." I cleared my throat, trying to prevent any awkward silences, "So uh . . . basically we have to find an example of interdependency and take a picture of it, right?"

He nodded, and I picked at the blades of grass. "Any ideas?" I asked hopefully.

Sasuke closed his sketch book and placed it on the grass next to time, sitting up to get a better view of the forest. He sat in thought for a moment while I quietly observed his facial features through my peripherals. For once taking the form of a terrifying werewolf, he now held an expression that completely contradicted that fact, making it merely fiction.

His eyebrows pushed forward slightly as he spoke his thoughts out loud, "Interdependency can be better described as mutual dependency. Simply meaning two beings depend on one another for any means necessary, depending on the situation."

I was surprised at how calm he was and didn't doubt that he could probably hear my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest, "Like a mutualistic relationship?"

"Exactly," He looked in my eyes, and I turned mine away.

"So," I started nervously, "I'm guessing I'm the one who's going to be in the picture?"

When he finally looked away, it gave me the chance to look back at him. The clouds moved smoothly over the sun's single ray of light, causing the clearing to become slightly darker than before. The wind seemed to respond to this and moved his hair gently away from his eyes. They reflected something I hadn't imagined to see . . . _'Sadness?' _I pondered.

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." He spoke quietly, his voice at a distance, almost as if he wasn't aware of my presence.

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. I wanted to know what he meant by that, but as he stood up to leave, it seemed the questioning would have to wait for another time.

"Where are you going?" I asked quickly.

He turned to look behind me, "Your friend is coming." Then without another word or glance, he turned back around and began his descent down the hill.

Before I could even mutter a good-bye, Tenten leaped up next to me, causing my heart to drop into my stomach. "What are you doing up here, Sakura?" she asked a little too happily.

I sighed, trying to lower my heart rate. Inconspicuously, I glanced over where Sasuke had retreated. I wished she would have run _a lot_ slower. "Nothing, just resting," I finally answered. She eyed me suspiciously for a moment but didn't seem to notice where my eyes had drifted. Finally I stood up on my feet, "But I'm ready to head back now." I forced a smile, hoping she'd buy it. Fortunately she did, and together we skidded our way down the hill, and back onto the trail that had originally brought me here.

The jog back was less thrilling than the first time, and now that the sun was beginning to set the atmosphere around us became cooler. The wind drifted through our clothes and hair, gently using our sweat to cool us down. All of the pains I felt pulsing throughout my body were pushed to the back of my thoughts as that young werewolf stood alone in the middle of them.

'_Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.'_ His voice echoed in my mind. _'What did he mean by that?'_ I pondered silently. His expression had seemed . . . almost pained as he said it. He reminded me of a stray animal that no one wanted to look at or save, fearful that he might carry a disease or bite. I felt pity in my heart as I stood amongst that very crowd, watching the stray creature try to defend itself and yet never caring what he felt inside.

As Tenten and I arrived back to the school and began running through the main buildings, I remembered a mental note I'd tucked away earlier that day, "Hey Tenten, I just remembered I need to get my books and an I.D."

She made a clicking sound with her tongue as she remembered too, "Oh yeah! That's right! I'll go with you."

Together we arrived at the back of the primary building and made our way through the double glass doors. As we passed the snarling wolf statue it suddenly held a whole new meaning for me. Just yesterday I'd seen this very same statue as it glared down at me, ready to pounce and attack its prey. I still saw aggressiveness, but I also saw _need_; a need to protect and defend. I smiled at the statue. Tenten seemed to notice and raised an eyebrow, but didn't question me.

When we reached the office we walked inside and asked Shizune about my books and if I could get a Hybrid I.D. "Oh yeah! That's right . . . I'll go get your books, they're in Tsunade's office." When she returned she had a large stack of school books, every single one I'd seen today, except for one. She placed all of the books on a chair nearby, and held out a bright blue paperback book titled, _'Hybrid Handbook'_. "I actually forgot to give this to you yesterday." She said sheepishly, and handed me the book.

"Thanks," I said, but internally I sighed and thought, _'This would have come in handy . . .'_

As for my I.D., she took me into another room that had a plain white backdrop for me to stand in front of. I completely forgot I had to have a picture taken for my I.D. and suddenly regretted waiting until after I'd been to Athletics _and_ the after-school jog. I groaned in annoyance, pulling down my hair and fingering through it so that it looked a little more decent than my windblown ponytail. I smiled and hoped it would be decent enough.

After the process, she let me look at the picture, and it actually looked a lot better than I'd imagined. If someone didn't know that I'd just jogged and sweated before the picture, they would have thought that I purposely blow dried my hair that way.

Satisfied with my I.D., I placed it inside the Hybrid Handbook and placed that on top of the stack of books Shizune had brought me. Tenten picked up half and as we left the office I yelled, "Thank you," a little more enthusiastically than I'd intended, but it sufficed.

When we walked back outside the primary building and into the courtyard, dark clouds began rolling in. The wind was chillier than earlier and caused my spine to tingle and goose bumps to appear on my arm. There weren't as many students as there had been outside earlier, but that could have been for the need to study, since it was still beautiful outside. _'A dark beauty . . .'_ I thought to myself, and quickly remembered Sasuke's words, _'Everything has beauty in it, but not everyone sees it.' _

"Looks like it's going to storm tonight," Tenten noted, scrunching her nose in disappointment . . . or disgust, it was difficult to tell.

"You don't like storms?" I asked, sounding surprised.

She gave a fake laugh, "No, not really . . ."

"I do." I muttered to myself, glancing back up at the sky again.

When we arrived to the girl's dorm we had to work together to get the door open. The elevator was easy, because it was just a button, but then back at our room, Tenten had to place the books on the floor in order for her to unlock it. I sighed in relief when I was finally able to place my books down on my bed, not caring that they were sprawled out. Tenten placed the rest right next to them, then went over to her side of the room, looking around and finally taking out a few books.

I stared at the books in front of me, feeling curiosity and resentment come over me. "Now what?" I asked, hoping it was time for something exciting to happen. I knew that if I didn't keep my body moving I'd fall asleep, fast.

"Now," She held up a large textbook, "We study."

I stared at the wall, pouting, "Anything after that?"

Tenten was already situated on her bed, all of her books and papers around her, "After we study, we go to dinner."

"What time is that?"

"Seven fifteen." Tenten replied, as she licked her first finger in order to turn the page of one of her textbooks.

I glanced at the clock, _'Ugh, an hour and fifteen minutes . . .'_

After a minute went by I finally gave up and decided to do something productive. Slowly I dug out one book at a time, each I recognized from using it in class. I went through all of them, reading the chapters I was supposed to be reading, doing my best to memorize the new information. I took out the supplies I used today during school and jotted down notes and definitions that I figured would be useful.

Fifteen minutes had gone by and as every second past my eyelids would become heavier. When their weight became unbearable and my eyes felt as if they were drying out, I closed them. All of the running around and exercising and thinking came down on me in a heap and the only thing that brought me comfort was the bed I was laying on. _'When did I lie down?'_ I thought, but didn't care to find the answer.

"Hey Sakura, you awake?" Tenten's voice slowly brought me back to reality.

"Huh?" Slowly I sat up, stretching my arms and back, "Yeah . . . what time is it?" I asked while wiping saliva off the side of my face. Unfortunately I'd fallen asleep on one of my open textbooks, decorating it with a drool spot.

"It's about seven . . . I've taken a shower already, so go ahead and take one before dinner." I looked at Tenten and noticed she was already clean and dressed.

The idea of food caused a spark in me and suddenly I was awake and alive. I jumped out of bed, grabbed some undergarments and random jeans and shirt, and rushed into the bathroom. First I turned on the water to allow it to warm up while I stripped off the hard, sweat covered clothes I'd fallen asleep in. My head pounded a little from taking a very short nap, and also for falling asleep on a hard book, but it wasn't anything that a shower and food wouldn't fix.

The second the water hit me I was in euphoria. All of the stress that had leaked its way inside me seeped out of the cracks and down the drain. The sweat and dirt melted off my skin and as I lathered, I felt as if I were in heaven. Warm water hit my muscles, knowing just the right spots to soothe them. The warm steam drifted around the bathroom, caressing everything in its path, and I soaked all of it in. Never had a shower seemed more wonderful than now.

Unfortunately the bliss didn't last long; it was interrupted by my stomach protesting that it was now time to eat. I agreed, and got out of the shower. I dried off and dressed quickly, not caring to blow dry my hair, but instead put it up in a wet bun.

Finally I exited the bathroom with a content sigh, and the steam rolled out. Tenten looked over at me with a knowing smile and said, "Showers always feel better when you know you've earned them, especially by sweating your butt off."

I laughed, "Yeah, no kidding . . ." Then I slipped on a pair of flip flops, too tired to look for socks. "Oh! Almost forgot something . . ." My roommate raised an eyebrow at me, and then rolled her eyes when she saw me take my I.D. out of the bright blue handbook Shizune had given me. "Okay, ready?"

Tenten nodded, and together we left our room, locking it before we went to the elevator. As we left the girl's dorm, I noticed that there were a lot of students outside, heading to the cafeteria just as we were. Some were dressed in pajamas, holes cut in different places to allow space for their tails or other hybrid features. Seeing these suddenly made me conscious of my own. I ran my fingers across the petite horn on the side of my head, no longer flinching away from its rigged edges.

We took the dirt path that led up to the courtyard, which were all lined with tiki torches. I looked up at the sky and saw that it was slowly beginning its descent into darkness, and by the time dinner was over, it would consume the school. Along with twilight, the wind dropped several degrees as the moon became the new host to this side of the world. I shivered as my body adjusted. With eager eyes I searched the sky for stars, and only found a few.

As we arrived at the courtyard I looked back out at the line of tress that created our own forest. Chills ran up my spine and I hoped that I would never have to go in there at night. It seemed as if there were colossal black curtains all around us, and we were center stage.

Finally we approached Cafeteria A, "Hey Tenten, I'm just going to go ahead and go to the next one, then I'll meet you in the middle, okay?" I said, with obvious resentment at the idea of having to _ever_ go back into the gruesome room.

My roommate smiled in understanding, "Sure Sakura." Then she turned and walked into the blood filled cafeteria. I shivered at the thought, feeling my stomach churn. I quickly pushed all thoughts of the red meat into the back of my head, and concentrated on getting to Cafeteria B where appetizing entrées awaited me.

When I opened the doors to the cafeteria, I inhaled the sweet scent of water. Everything in the room was filled with water. All the way from the fruits and vegetables, to the grain and sugar cubes. Water flowed through the room, into the food, and into our bellies. There was even mist in certain areas where water was visibly being used to keep the greens as green as possible.

Feeling my mouth water – I giggled at my attempt at humor – I grabbed a tray off one of the counter tops that held them, and began filling it up with delicacies. This time I opted for trying something different, so I scooped up a variety of seeds, nuts, and dry fruits. Some of which I knew the names of, and others I didn't. Then, knowing this wouldn't fill me up, I raided the salad bar, this time not caring (or noticing) that this school didn't have any type of salad dressing. I finished off my dinner creation by grabbing a banana that had small spots all over it, _'My favorite.'_ I thought with a hungry smile.

On my way to the registers, I grabbed a cup and filled it up with ice and water. This time when the lunch lady asked me for my I.D., I reluctantly sat my drink down, and pulled it out of my pocket. She quickly scanned it and before I could blink, handed it back to me. After my soft 'thank you', I headed through the doors, and out into the light of the silvery moon.

"Hey Sakura, over here!" I heard someone call my name, and sighed in relief when I saw Naruto waving his hands in the air like an air traffic controller. I was hoping they'd spot me quickly; I hated walking around like a lost puppy, not knowing where to sit when you find yourself in those awkward cafeteria moments.

Reluctantly I made my way over to my new group of friends, and sat in between Naruto and Kiba, "Hey guys!" I said enthusiastically to everyone, surprised at the sudden joy that came over me. Everyone responded in the same amount of enthusiasm . . . except for Ghoul. He was still a mystery to me.

"Oh, bugger! You're an _herb_ivore?" Rikart suddenly yelled out, his English accent completely taking over his voice and causing everyone to laugh as he pointed accusingly at me. Everyone could see he meant it humorously but he kept a serious façade.

I sighed, half smiling, half irritated, "No Rikart, I'm an _omn_ivore. I just don't _enjoy_ eating raw meat!" I glanced down at the plate in front of him. It held a raw t-bone steak, already cut into. I scrunched my nose in disgust, "Like _you._"

He made a face at my plate, "Yours isn't much appetizing, either."

Tenten sighed, "Rikart, leave poor Sakura alone, just let her eat her plants."

I raised an eyebrow at the girl across from me, "What's that supposed to mean?"

She didn't seem phased by my question and continued to cut into her _food_, "It means that you're eating plants."

I scuffed, not knowing why I was offended. They weren't just _plants_ . . . I shook my head for a moment, _'Wait, what was _that_ supposed to mean?'_

I sighed again, resting my elbow on the table as I picked at my plate. My lips squeezed into a tight line as I held onto my thoughts as tight as I could, doing my best not to let them slip out, _'At least I'm not eating another fellow friend.'_ But as I chewed my salad and heard the seeds crack against my teeth, I couldn't help but feel that eating these products from the Earth was just as bad as eating raw meat.

My body eased out of the tense state I'd been in, and I put a smile on my face to show everyone that I wanted to join in on the conversation that was going around the table. It had something to do with everyone's "born abilities".

"What's your Origin, Sakura?" Rikart asked curiously. I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You can't expect her to know that," Kiba replied, crunching on his Kibbles as if they actually were Cocoa Puffs . . . except without the milk.

I began peeling back my banana, "What's that?" I took a bite and savored the sweet taste.

"Not everyone has an Origin that can be traced, but sure enough, everyone has one." Tenten smiled.

Rikart stepped in to better answer my question, "An Origin is . . ." He made hand gestures as if looking for the right words, "Basically where you come from, _here_," he pointed to the spot on his chest where his heart is. His eyes sparkled.

Naruto cleared his throat so everyone would listen to what he had to say, I giggled at his gesture, seeing as I was the only one who got it, "In simpler terms, if you can trace the Origin of your surname, you can figure out what your bloodline is."

"Sometimes it _literally_ means something, and other times it's recognized by others, like Hinata's." Rikart added, and I glanced over at her, sitting across Naruto and next to Tenten. She smiled in conformation, then continued eating her meal, using small bites to consume the bit of meat she had on her plate. I scowled in disapproval, but no one seemed to notice.

"So what's your full name, Sakura?" Rikart asked curiously, bending over the table with his arms on it, as if being closer would get the answer faster.

"Sakura Haruno."

Everyone became quiet.

"Well," Hinata began speaking when no one else would, "In literal terms, your first name means _cherry blossom_ and your last name means _blooming fields_. But I'm not sure of that Origin –" She quit speaking when Rikart gave her a look that said, "Are you serious?"

Rikart's lip twitched up, "Are you serious?" He said, and I had to keep myself from laughing.

"What?" She asked, trying to hide her confused shame.

"Her _father_ is Sol Haruno!" Rikart held his hand out excitedly at me, and Hinata finally understand what was going on.

She let out a small gasp, "Oh . . . sorry Sakura."

"It's okay, you didn't know . . ." Sol was _my_ father and even _I_ didn't know what was going on.

"Oh my gosh," Naruto whispered to himself, continuously.

Kiba's jaw was hanging open, and Tenten just gazed over at me in deep contemplation. They all watched while I sat in my veil of _complete_ confusion.

"Okay," I sighed, releasing a breath of air I hadn't realized I was holding, "Yes, Sol is my dad –", "I knew it!" Rikart cut me off and I glared at him. He quickly closed his mouth. "-but I honestly know _nothing_ about him." _'Except for that _dream_ I had, but even then . . . what if that was real? What if those were my _real_ memories, and not just the ones that Mother told me about.'_

"Your father," Rikart started, seeming to be the only one who could speak or think, "Was an Officer in the Hybrid Military, I don't recall what rank though, but he's remembered highly." The use of past tense caused me to flinch; he noticed and apologized quickly before continuing, "He taught HJROTC at the South Academy for many years, and helped Gautama Uchiha _save_ Shodai's life." He whispered in wonder, as if there was so much more to know.

I kept my eyes on the table, feeling something in my mind tugging and pulling, pleading for me to remember my _real_ past, but I still felt something in the way. Like a wall, keeping me away from uncovering my memories. The dream I had last night was my only anchor.

"I don't remember." I mumbled, "I-I don't know . . ." I stuttered, feeling myself ready to cry.

My friends around me watched me, they thought silently to themselves and I could see them wanting to know _why_. Why wasn't I able to remember my own past?

Naruto cleared his throat, disrupting the uncomfortable silence, "What's your Mother's maiden name?"

I thought about my Mother for a moment. Now _her_ I remember, clearly. I didn't want to believe she would ever hide my past from me, but Tsunade spoke of the doctor, whom Mother seemed very close to . . . _"I'm afraid that he may have influenced your Mother in some way." 'I'm afraid she was _already_ influenced . . . from the very beginning.'_

"Arciere, Amory Arciere." I said my Mother's maiden name first, then her first and last together, in order to satisfy their curiosity.

"Archer." Hinata smiled, finding joy in making up for her shame earlier.

"Hmm . . ." Rikart thought, making that annoying sound I hadn't heard since Mrs. Florelock, the nurse at San Arcos. "Your Father a Warrior, your Mother an Archer . . . _and_ you have the Hybrid feature that only one other Hybrid has had."

I'd heard that somewhere . . . from the doctor? Yes, I could remember clearly now, the doctor's words, _"-but what Hybridologists actually _know _is that _that _specific type of horn is incredibly rare, and that only _one _other Hybrid has been known to possess it."_

"Who?" I asked, realizing I never even considered my horn's importance until just now, when Rikart made everything seem _very_ important.

"Hashirama Senju," He smiled, noticing how my eyes widened, "Or simply Shodai," He added.

_I noticed my Dad clench his fists in anger, and the bow's flames rose higher, "Unfinished business? You've already killed your own Father, who died protecting Hashirama Senju!" _

The memory jolted in my mind, _'The wolf leader's Father was Gautama? But . . . that can't be right . . . Sasuke's grandfather is Gautama . . . that could only mean-'_ I gasped in horror. Finally pieces were beginning to fall into place. Not everything, but just enough for me to figure a few things out.

I pictured Sasuke's face, contorted into pain and misery as he turned from Human to Werewolf. Eyes blazing red, lips pulled back in a snarl and claws out and ready. His form hunched over into a predatory killing mode. Then it quickly changed, and I saw him outside on the hill, drawing peacefully as the wind pushed his hair out of his eyes. Those dark, black eyes that seemed almost . . . kind . . ? I could never imagine those eyes being the owner of a murderer . . .

"Leave her alone! Respect her life! Maybe she doesn't feel like talking about her life right now, _especially_ on her first day!" Tenten suddenly shouted.

I looked up and felt something wet and salty touch the corner of my mouth. My hand moved quickly, wiping away the lone tear that seemed to find its way out of my thoughts.

"Sorry . . ." Rikart, Kiba, Naruto, and Hinata mumbled to me.

"It's okay," I smiled, "Y'know, I'm starting to get kinda sleepy, I'm going to go ahead and go back to my room. I'll see you guys in the morning." I looked at each one of their faces, making sure my smile reached all of them. Then I picked up my tray and stepped away from my seat.

"I'm going with you." Tenten announced, making sure everyone was clear on not speaking to me about my life.

As we walked away I saw Kiba smack Rikart on the arm, mumbling something about staying out of my business. I smiled and rolled my eyes, honestly not caring too much about them talking about my life. It was interesting . . . to say the least.

Tenten and I didn't speak on the way back to our room, the silence was comforting enough. Darkness tightened its grip on the sky but my thoughts were too busy to notice. When we were inside our warm dorm room, we both threw ourselves onto our beds, and sighed.

I turned over to look at Tenten as she began getting up and putting away her study items, "Thanks," I muttered.

She glanced over at me with a quick smile, "You're welcome."

Minutes later we had our pajamas on, school supplies packed, teeth brushed, and light off. I lay down on my bed, inhaling the scent of home. It felt like years since I'd been there, and I felt centuries different. All of the information that had been crammed into me in such a short period of time had my head spinning, and yet brought me to a place of comfort and . . . excitement.

'_Definitely exciting . . .'_ I thought sleepily, too tired to think of anything else . . .

When I opened my eyes, I didn't know how long I'd been asleep. A few hours, maybe . . ? I glanced over at Tenten, and she was still asleep. Rain pelted against the window that sat on the wall between Tenten and I. Cracks of thunder tore the silence in the night sky, and the lightning that flashed whiplashed the atmosphere. I sighed in contentment, and knew that was among the few who found comfort in lightning storms.

Before I closed my eyes to fall back sleep, something in the corner of the room caught my eye. Even with the moon's silver light shining through the window, the dorm room was still dark. Clouds in the sky covered most of the moon's rays, blackening the room. Occasionally a bolt of lightning would send a flash of light throughout the room, and I could see a dark mass.

A large, black figure moved, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. My breathing picked up and I tried to remain calm, but my shaking hands deceived me. I felt the same fear I experienced the night I had that first dream . . . the one with the red eyes. I knew now that I was dreaming of a Werewolf, but at this moment I knew I wasn't dreaming at all.

Just as before, something repeatedly told me not to be afraid, and to stay calm. A warm sensation washed over me, as if something had wiped all of my fear away.

Overcome with drowsiness, I fell back asleep.

* * *

**Finally! I'm finished! -sigh of relief-  
Review please!(: **


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